I recently worked on a pro bono project for a friend, and it reminded me of a time early in my career and how lucky I was then to get such great advice from the more seasoned pros around me. Advice that ultimately saved me from some major pitfalls. I made mistakes here and there over the course of nearly 20 years of projects, but with each hiccup came a lesson. Here are some takeaways from my lessons learned and all that sage advice.

Questions Equal Clarity
Clients come to us designers for our expertise, and it is our job to guide them through the process. We are helping them find clarity about their vision and goals for their project.

Brand storytelling is an integral part of a brand’s identity and the way to communicate its personality. It is the ability to tell stories about your brand that build trust, loyalty, and advocacy with your customers.

A logo is only as good as the recognition it provides, so if your logo looks outdated or unprofessional, customers will be turned off by what they see which isn’t good. Branding is all about consistency and repetition. It’s the reason why customers know what to expect from a brand, who it is, and what its values are.

If you’re not sure if your branding needs a refresh, consider these six signs:

There are tons of reasons for a business to want to give back in some way. In the past, businesses have chosen charities for tax breaks, credibility, or to be recognized as a “good corporate citizen.” While all these reasons are valid, and you may want to consider them when choosing a charity, the best option is a strategic choice. This can be an opportunity to do more than just give money or write checks: it can be an opportunity to get closer with your audience while making an impact on something that matters greatly to you.

If your company doesn’t already have a giving strategy, you are late to the party. But not to worry, here are a few reasons why you should give, and a bit about how to give.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I am reminded how grateful I am, not only for the people around me but that I have the opportunity to run my own business. One of the benefits of running a small business is that it gives me the ability to donate to causes that matter to me, and find ways to help build community, and show others the benefits of charitable giving.

Ages ago, when I first started at an agency, I learned a lot about working with clients on logos, mostly through trial and error. Once, after a client killed a perfectly good logo because he didn’t like the color green, I decided to always show the first round of logos only in black and white. Why? Because it allows the mark to speak for itself without bias or reliance on color. There were lots of those types of lessons when I first started. Quite frankly I am thankful for them; they have helped me hone a process for myself.

If your company doesn’t already have a giving strategy, you are late to the party. But not to worry, here are a few reasons why you should give, and a bit about how to give.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I am reminded how grateful I am, not only for the people around me but that I have the opportunity to run my own business. One of the benefits of running a small business is that it gives me the ability to donate to causes that matter to me, and find ways to help build community, and show others the benefits of charitable giving.

For years now, I have seen hustle-culture being glorified, and it frustrates me. The idea of earning respect by overworking yourself isn’t healthy. It just isn’t. As a small business owner, I fully understand the word hustle. I grind daily. But as human beings, we have limits, so I suggest that we must be intentional with how we hustle.

I like to think about it in running terms. Hustle culture would have you believe that you can sprint forever. But that isn’t possible. At some point, your legs are simply going to give out and hurl you face-first into the ground. Intentional hustle, on the other hand, is like doing a 100-yard dash a few times. You have a goal, you meet it, and then you have a bit of time to rest and reset. The important thing here: it’s sustainable.

Every time I start a project, I get this tiny moment of panic. It doesn’t last long, but even now, after years in this business, I still notice that it happens.

It has a long and technical name, but in portfolio school, we just called it “fear of the blank page.” It’s that anxiety-inducing few moments right before getting started on something. I may have had 253 ideas buzzing around my head after a client meeting, and I am excited to get started on the project, but inevitably, and just for a short moment, this blank page panic happens when I sit down to get started.

Being the head of a creative team is incredibly rewarding. It requires you to be a protector and a facilitator for your team, removing obstacles and cultivating openness so great ideas have space to flourish. It also requires flexibility to play different roles throughout a project lifecycle. Sometimes you play the hype-man for the project. Sometimes your role is simply to get out of the way and let your amazing team of designers get after it. And then sometimes it is helping them see the greatness in what they just did.