Welcome to episode two of Backbone! The four-part mini series where we discuss the financial side of building a business.

Today, we get into the structures that sit underneath your business and the tax impacts of each!

Whether you’re just starting out, running a side hustle, or transitioning into something more complex, the way your business is set up has real implications for tax, cash flow, and risk. And yet, this is one of the least openly discussed parts of being a founder.

So, this week, we have the candid tax conversation that no one seems to be having.

In this episode, we cover:

• The common business structures available to new and growing business owners

• How and when structures tend to change as your business becomes more complex

• The tax realities founders often avoid (and why that’s risky)

• Our perspective on when to bring in an accountant, bookkeeper, or advisor and what to look for.

This episode is brought to you by Notion - and by far one of our favourite tools, Notion Agent. Notion Agent is fundamentally different from typical AI tools. Instead of just suggesting or chatting, it completes tasks end-to-end, turning days of manual work into minutes.

It acts like a Notion super user that understands your workspace, your working style, and how you like things done - helping you stay organised, clear, and accountable as you build.

Let Notion Agent do the heavy lifting for you at ⁠Notion.⁠

Legendary fashion and celebrity photographer Ben Watts joins Process for a conversation about longevity, instinct, and building a career in one of the most competitive creative industries in the world.

From photographing icons like Heath Ledger to navigating the shift from film to digital, Ben opens up about the mindset that has sustained his decades-long career. Why being a great photographer starts with being a good people person, how to develop a recognisable style, and what it really takes to earn trust with world-famous talent.

Host Arielle Thomas and Ben dive into the realities of hustling early on, the impact of social media on modern creatives, and why dignity, curiosity, and enjoyment remain at the core of meaningful work.

It’s an honest, insightful look at how to stay creatively fulfilled while operating at the highest level.

• Why being a people person is as important as technical skill

• How Ben built trust with A-list talent

• The difference between chasing trends and developing a signature style

• What the transition from film to digital changed forever

• How social media reshaped the photography industry

• The role of hustle and adaptability in long creative careers

• Why dignity and professionalism still set people apart

• Staying authentic in a competitive field

• Finding joy in the process—not just the outcomes

• Becoming the person people want to hire again and again

Find Ben on Instagram here.

Find Ben's extensive portfolio of work on Art Dept.

Find Process the Podcast for the visuals of Ben's work and this episode here.

Find your host, Arielle Thomas on Instagram here.

Welcome to Backbone: a four-part mini series all about the financial backbone of building a business, side hustle, or freelance career.

We talk endlessly about the exciting parts of building something - the idea, the creativity, the passion, the momentum. But behind the scenes, it’s often the money side that feels confusing, intimidating, or easy to avoid. And more often than not, businesses fail because the financials were ignored.

There’s a huge gap in how openly we talk about money as founders. The messy bits. The avoidance. The “I’ll deal with it later” moments. This series is about closing that gap and helping you build confidence with your numbers.

Episode one starts with the foundation: accountability. Not outsourcing responsibility, but learning to work alongside experts and developing the mindset that you need to understand what’s happening with the money in your business.

In this episode, we cover:

• What an accountability mindset really means
• The common barriers that stop founders from taking control of their finances
• How to shift from pure creativity into commercial
• Practical, realistic ways to build money check-ins into your routine

If you hear us mention the Money Type Quiz, you can find it here: Money Type Quiz

And if you hear us yapping about finding new communities that support you, we recommend Butter App

This episode is brought to you by Notion - and by far one of our favourite tools, Notion Agent. Notion Agent is fundamentally different from typical AI tools. Instead of just suggesting or chatting, it completes tasks end-to-end, turning days of manual work into minutes.

It acts like a Notion super user that understands your workspace, your working style, and how you like things done - helping you stay organised, clear, and accountable as you build.

Let Notion Agent do the heavy lifting for you at ⁠Notion.⁠

Find Process the Podcast on Instagram here.

Find So Invested on Instagram here.

See you next Thursday!