Andy Stefanovich HOW opening keynote

Imagine for a moment a room filled with thousands of like-minded individuals. Everyone is there for the same reason – to learn something new about the industry they love, to be inspired to be better and more excited about their chosen professions and to connect with people who understand the ins and outs of daily life as a creative professional.

This was exactly the scene at the 2010 HOW Design Conference this past June in the mile-high city of Denver, CO. In addition to being asked why attend industry conferences, I’m also asked how to get the most out of the experience. Let’s be real — the investment of time and money to attend any conference is pretty significant. You have the cost of admission, travel and lodging, and the days away from your family and your job! I’m a big believer in ROI (return on investment), so here are a few pointers on how to get the most from a conference experience.

In my last post about the HOW Conference, I focused on the importance of connecting with people. Here we will discuss the educational component of conference-going. In convincing yourself or your company to put up the cash for attendance, I’m guessing the most compelling reason was centered around what you could learn. There are some forward thinking managers who believe keeping you connected and inspired is important but, sadly, they seem to be a bit scarce. The question then is, “How do I maximize what I learn”?

First of all, walk up to the registration desk with a list of things you WANT to learn. Without looking at speakers and sessions decide what it is that your company, your career and your psyche want to glean from the conference. I’ve no doubt all afore mentioned entities know where they are and where they want to go. So, take a good hard look, unbiased by program offerings, at what you want to learn at the conference. I suggest the list be condensed to contain three items, no less and no more. With the list in hand register for sessions staying focused on what you want to learn.

Next, be open-minded about what you WILL learn. These may sound like contradictory ideas but they are actually complimentary. I’m a huge believer in charting a course but having the flexibility to make alterations along the way as unforeseen opportunities and obstacles come into your path. Don’t walk into sessions expecting ah-ha moments, miracles or perfection. Those do happen and every once in awhile you connect with what’s being said and have a “come-to-Jesus moment.” The presenters are people just like you sharing ideas and experiences. It’s 100% up to you what you learn because EVERYONE has something to teach. Look past personalities, communication styles and personal views and be open-minded about what you can take away. Attendees often spend more time critiquing every element of a presentation than looking for their own personal take-away. Sorry folks, but its not up to the event staff or the presenter to force a take-away into your hands. It’s laid out on the stage like a gift and it’s up to you to walk up receive it and take it home with you.

Kevin Carroll of Katalyst HOW closing keynote

The HOW Conference provides abundant opportunities to expand and deepen your knowledge about design, business, career growth, life balance and so much more. It requires self-examination, planning, a willingness to be flexible and a genuine desire to be open-minded. As a greater community of creative professionals interested in furthering the industry, the relationship between the staff, presenters and attendees is key to the success of any conference. By entering into an unspoken agreement to be positive and constructive, everyone who experiences the conference can walk away feeling they have contributed and gained insights to furthering the industry and their careers.

Next up: Why the HOW Conference… INSPIRATION

For more information on the HOW Conference, visit http://howconference.com

No.1; A one-liner in an elevator goes a long way!
A bit weary-eyed from my first full night in Denver, hanging tough with my fave DEN resident—my mama—and hoping I had just delivered an effective message to those good souls willing to listen in my session, I step on the downward elevator and nestle into the back of the box as a courtesy because of my 6′ 4″ frame. I desparately need a java and a regroup before hitting the opening keynote. The car is bouncing like a beachball because we are stopping at every floor, but I’m too wobbly-legged to be annoyed. At one stop I say aloud but to no one in particular, “geez, I guess we picked the ‘local’, huh?”, a reference that any quasi, former or lifelong New Yorker would get immediately. It took the gent that got on at that stop only a second to register what I had said and he chuckled, giving a half-turn, responding, “that was good, I never thought of it that way. That’s funny.” We pile out and give a polite wave and good’day to each other, while no one else in the elevator had said one word.

After java and a recharge, I make my way over, settle into my seat near the front and ready myself for the kick-off of another fantastic creative week at the HOW Conference. After the opening formalities and announcements, the keynote speaker is introduced and up pops this ball of nervous, joyous energy that was instantly recognizable to me… the gent from the elevator! And his name, Andy Stefanovich. After a rousing speech, I walk over to see him surrounded by an adoring handful of people. Not wanting to inturrupt their moments with him too much, I tap him on the shoulder and simply say, “I guess the ‘local’ got us here eventually?” Sharing a laugh he says that he made a note of our encounter and the impression I had made in the just brief moment. The beginning of a hopefully lasting connection that only took a one-liner and a pleasant air about us both. Andy, if you’re reading this—let’s be in touch soon.

No.2; Simply put, keep trying to connect.

During my session, I had the opportunity to sit and chat with those in attendance and my first conversation was a pleasant intro to a group of energetic new faces to HOW. As a fan of good graphic tees, one guy’s attire caught my eye, so I commented on it. This started us down a road of general chatty goodness—nothing too big, but interesting nonetheless. The session time ended abruptly with me needing to scurry… I guess I don’t really scurry… with me needing to bounce to my book signing so we didn’t get to punctuate out discussion with the exchange of cards. He simply said, with no hint of worry, “it’s cool, I’ll find you.” And that he did. Jon, thanks for sticking with it. We’ll connect for sure. I need one of those tees!

No.3; She was hungry, and that had gravity!
She was the first face to step to me as I came off stage after participating on the freelance panel discussion of the Creative Freelancer portion of HOW Design Week. A gentle smile and very eager eyes, she was easy to remember. Skip to the opening of the main conference, Andy Stefanovich told the story of a young, local designer whose employer was hanging her attendance to this event over hear head like the 25 ton anvil that it is to many of us creatives, not wanting here to take full advantage and get back to the local design salt mines. We met in passing later and she says, in a somber tone, “that girl Andy was talking about was me.” She asks if I want to grab a bite to eat and chat, and I say yes, but the walk out of the mile-wide convention center finds me bumping into all types of people wanting a moment here and a moment there. She hung in like a trooper and I apologized profusely… and then, it was her turn.

After his speech, Mr. Stefanovich had said that he would he would help this young lady find the means to attend the full conference and perhaps that would give her strength to forge a new path, devoid of hovering anvils, but it seemed that her follow-up email have fallen into the void that usually happens for a conference speaker away from home and business. But in a fortunate twist, we see Andy standing quietly, checking his email. I say to her gently but sternly, “go talk to him right now!” After some resistance quite typical of young, humble, and perhaps scared designers, she goes. He’s cordial, remembering her and having just seen the email from her. She comes back, he darts to his left down the long ramp and we make for some eats. In hindsight, it was a bit of serendipty that we got our food to go because this young, local designer got a call that brought her to tears in my arms… she had just been told, by none other than Andy Stefanovich himself that she would be able to attend the full HOW Conference, all week at no additional cost to her. Sadly, her employer did lay her off at the end of the week after feigning that they would be okay with her attending. Hey Lauren, it’s all good and I have no worries that you made the right choice! Hustle hard, make your way, and it was a pleasure and an honor sharing those moments with you.

No.4; Her flight was “booked”
As the author of ‘100 Habits for Successful Freelance Designers’, I featured several up-and-coming creatives and their work. About a week before the HOW events, I got an email that said one of those contributors would be in attendance, all the way from the Philippines.

After I dash for my book signing at the HOW Conference pop-up bookstore, I’m winded and needing a breather to allow me to set up and greet people with a smile. All set? Good. Up walks a small woman with a wide smile and eyes that smiled the same. She extends her hand nervously and says, “Hi, I’m Lizza.” Wow. How could I figure that the first book I signed at this event would not only be to a person who was in the book, but who had also flown the world to be first in line?! Lizza, thank you. Simply, immensely, THANK YOU!

No.5; “Where’d you get that shirt?!”
“I made it.”
“You’re RDQLUS?!”
“Yep.”
“OMG, I’ve been waiting this whole time to get one of these!”

That convo happened on the escalator as I hurried to the HOW Marketplace to show my now classic, limited-edition “A’ight DEN” tees. I had never had someone so enthusiastic about my work, so much so that her infectious fervor trickled over to her friend who copped one also! I was on cloud-9 after this encounter so, Erica… thanks so much and check your email. Sent you something.

No.6; His sincerity was enough. His approach was a wonderful extra.
The beauty of HOW for me is the rare opportunity to sync up with the rare few people who are so similar to me in their approach to life that it resonates with me like standing too close to a gigantic church bell.

He walked up to me, slowly, and extended his hand and said, “Steve, I really just wanted to introduce myself and say that I really liked hearing you speak yesterday on the panel.” We commenced to have a couple of great talks over the course of the week about everything from personal and creative philosphy, to food and sneakers. This, perhaps above all others that I’ve met, is one that I look forward to building a lasting friendship with because of the way it started; sincerely, candidly, honestly, openly, and more than anything willingly with no need or end in mind. Luke, my new friend… thank you. This is going to be good.

Steve Gordon is a self-proclaimed “creative mercenary” working under the moniker RDQLUS. He specializes in identity design, branding and strategy. Visit www.rdqlus.com to view the original post and for more information.

With just one week with to go, I am working through final touches on a few presentations, getting all the details together for a special edition of “Talk Story with Jeni”, putting the household in order including all the preparations for my daughter’s high school graduation and, of course, today will be spent shopping for that next pair of kick-ass shoes!

Here’s what’s happening as my preparations escalate. I’ll be doing my ever-popular chargeback workshop as a conference kick-off. This is not to be missed if you work in-house and are looking for the key (yes, the key) to proving your value to your organization. Titled “ Making Money Count and Value Real”, the workshop will be 3-hours long and walk attendees through the entire process of establishing a chargeback system that requires no executive approval and no exchange of monies. I call it a pseudo-chargeback system as it utilizes all the concepts of proper accounting practices but doesn’t require a departmental or corporate overhaul.

Additionally, I’ll be conducting a session titled “Becoming Priceless to Your Company” where we will build a toolkit of ideas and action plans attendees can take back to the office making themselves (and the team), PRICELESS to the organization.

And for the most exciting addition to the HOW Conference line-up… drum roll, please… a very Special Edition of my hit blog-radio show, “Talk Story with Jeni”. Years ago, my two dear friends and I were riding up the escalator of the conference in Boston. From behind we heard a voice yell out, “Hey, it’s speakers gone wild”. Steve, Jeff and I looked at each other, started laughing hysterically and at that moment decided that name would stick! After years of pitching the idea of the three of us conducting an open forum session for attendees to join in and discuss what’s really at the core of a designer’s soul, we did it! A week from Tuesday, Steve, Jeff and HOW magazine’s editor, Bryn will join me over the airwaves and discuss life, leisure and, of course, the industry of design. Don’t miss this event!

For more information on the HOW Conference, June 6-9, visit http://howconference.com

I always liked the idea of using my last name as a business name. I liked how it paid homage to a time when a business wasn’t just a job but a reflection of self and passion. For example, if Bill was a baker, then he owned Bill’s Bakery; you knew if you went into Bill’s Bakery, he would be there. He would work hard and greet you with a smile, not because he had to, but because he was genuinely happy that you walked through the door and wanted to spend your hard-earned money at his business, allowing him to put food on his family’s table. This is how I have always felt about DownsDesign, and I wanted to carry that mentality to my clients in the way I run the business.

My mother taught my brothers and I to chase our passion. She let us know that we could get up every day, work our butts off, and love every minute of it. When I started, my goal was never to be a millionaire. I knew that if I could get up every day and do something that I really loved, it would be worth all the money in the world. I don’t get up every day and go to work, I go have fun; and hell, if I become a millionaire and I’m still having this much fun, I won’t complain.

There is a lot to be said of owning something, whether it’s a business, house or mail-order bride (kidding), it definitely changes how you feel about yourself as a person. To me it’s equal parts confidence booster and stress inducer. I’m sure there are a few people out there that truly give 110% working for someone else, but I just wasn’t that guy before. It wasn’t until I made the leap to running DownsDesign full-time that I really felt like I was honestly giving 110% every day. It’s a big weight to carry, running your own business but if you can keep that balance intact then you’ve got it pretty good.

The value of relationships
Some people are lucky enough to catch a break when they start out – maybe they got the chance to save up a few month’s pay before starting out on their own, or they have a spouse that helps keep the bills on track while they make a break for a full-time freelance design career. This wasn’t the case for me and there were definitely a lot of sleepless nights that first year or so, wondering how I was going to pay the bills.

While I might not have had as much financial stability as I would have liked while starting DownsDesign (and not to be corny here, but…), I do feel like I got something that proved much more beneficial to me in the long run. While working my way up the proverbial design ladder, I formed some great relationships with some super-talented designers like Steve Gordon, Jr. of RDQLUS Creative and Roby Fitzhenry of Always Creative. There are so many great connections in Omaha that continue to prove invaluable in running my business.

Keeping Things Simple
KISS – keep it simple and stupid. We hear it all the time in design school; it’s drilled into our heads. This is how I have tried to run DownsDesign since day one; get up, work hard, stay organized, repeat. I take my work, and keeping clients happy very serious, but I think it’s important to have a great time doing it.

Eric is principal of DownsDesign, a small design studio, happily located in Omaha, Nebraska. Eric uses creativity to design, organize and simplify things, namely branding, print materials and websites. Visit www.downsdesign.com for a peek at Eric’s work.

As just a fun little exercise I went to Amazon.com and typed in the words “love what you do”. Holy guacamole!! I couldn’t believe how many books showed up titled that very thing! Apparently, this is a popular subject. I would assume its popularity is due to the concept being so right-on but the reality being elusive. That leads me to ask “why is it so elusive’?

We started to talk about the first 10 years of running a staffing firm for creative professionals. It’s not that I was passionate about staffing, quite the contrary. What I was passionate about was how I got to go about doing my job. I was in love with what I accomplished in that job. I loved building a business that had my personality stamped all over it from the grass mat ceilings to the walls painted a vibrant orange appropriately called ‘Hawaiian Passion’. I loved walking in each morning to see what we had built. I loved talking to people and helping them find a career path not just a job. I loved working with high-level design thinkers strategizing on how to best build their organizations. I loved mentoring my staff and promoting the company through a strong brand experience. Ahhh, that’s loving what you do!

I guess all this is to say that it’s not your title or your niche; it’s how you approach your day-to-day. Does it excite you, make you smile or better yet laugh? Do you fill euphoric when you’ve accomplished a task you were working on? If you fill dread in place of excitement and weary in place of euphoria, you’re not in the right place. It doesn’t take a book or a magic formula to decide whether you love what you do. It takes looking at your heart, how you breath, how you rest, how you feel. That’s it, you know. Now you just have to figure out what to do about it!

I graduated college and worked as a designer at a world-reknown sports marketing firm for a year and half. I hated going into work every day; not so much because of the people or what I was doing, but because of the routine and I felt too comfortable. I wanted to be free to do what I want, design when I felt most creative, work when I felt most productive and control my own day. So I took a risk, quit my job and went freelance with only one client that wouldn’t entirely support me alone. It was an uncomfortable feeling but it was the beginning of the best decision I ever made.

That was five years ago. Since then I’ve taken on projects I wasn’t entirely sure I could do, founded an organization I wasn’t sure I could run, accepted leadership roles I didn’t think I could take on, disagreed with leaders when I’d otherwise avoid conflict, called on clients I thought I was too small or young to work for, met some of my design and business heroes I never thought would give me the time of day, as well as learned areas of business I never thought I’d learn. I even got married and am fathering a baby without knowing where the next paycheck is coming from. All of these things have made me uncomfortable.

I have realized that being uncomfortable is actually what drives me. It makes me want to get better, to continue learning, to support my family doing work I love, and to be the best person and designer I can be. When an opportunity presents itself, even if I create it, I find that putting myself in the most uncomfortable position allows me to solve the problem more creatively and to find a way to become successful at whatever it is simply because I have to, otherwise I’ll fail. Not being afraid of failing is what pushes me.

If I never made that uncomfortable move five years ago, I would have missed out on some great experiences and the opportunity to meet some wonderful people while doing the things I love.

I encourage you as creatives to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while. You don’t have to be as extreme as quitting your job and starting a business (unless your gut is telling you to but you say no, i.e. the Seth Godin dubbed Lizard Brain), but I encourage you to do something different, something that doesn’t feel as comfortable. You’ll notice that you’ll find new creative ways to overcome the obstacle and solve the problem, all of which can make you a better designer and a more confident person. So go forth and make yourself uncomfortable.

Adam Martin is an independent creative strategist, design thinker and founder of Social Media Club Lexington. His company, amartin design studio in Lexington, Kentucky, partners with clients to develop positive, emotional brand experiences through design, social media and branding strategies. Find out more at www.amartindesign.com

As is the case with most of the advice I see handed out, what makes for a good leader is quite simple and I don’t even have to charge you $23.95 plus shipping and handling. It starts with two very ordinary ideas; put yourself out there and lead genuinely.

Put yourself out there — Start by asking yourself, “How can my relationships encourage people to grow in confidence and skill with passion and a clarity of purpose?” This is such a modest concept but with so many facets of complexity. The relationships managers and other leaders form with those beneath them, above them and beside them are the greatest testaments to the strength of someone’s leadership abilities. In all respects these relationships need to foster an environment that encourages people to become increasingly confident in their own skills. Training someone to expand their abilities to perform really does require them to dig in and find the passion for their work and then add a healthy dose of purpose. Good leaders inspire people to eagerly pull from their own strengths and move forward with a clear direction in mind. This allows for outstanding work and effective collaboration.

Lead genuinely — Inspire others and leave a legacy of caring and integrity with a focus on promoting success for others. Leaders often manipulate rather than manage, their approach being competitive rather than compassionate and self-serving rather than selfless. This serves no purpose and is counter-productive. I’m often reminded that the greatest leaders are those that assist individuals in becoming great themselves, capable of succeeding and excelling. Empowerment and encouragement are two of the most significant principles in strong leadership practices.

In the highly structured corporate environments that are so commonplace today, leading successfully can be a difficult task particularly with the many different schools of thought, ideas, methods and systems thrown at managers every day. Take a step back from all the advise you hear and go back to the basics – the “Golden Rule” of treating others as you yourself would want to be treated.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” — Mark Twain

Comments welcome!

- Jeni Herberger, Creative and Corporate Visionary

Are you a Corporate Creative? “Whether they’re copywriters, marketers, product designers, R&D engineers or even forward thinking managers and, dare I say, enlightened HR staff—if they are individuals who are empathetic, entrepreneurial, intuitive and non-linear thinkers with a healthy rebellious bent, then, I’d say, they are a corporate creative,” says Epstein.

Surviving and more importantly succeeding in a corporate world requires you to be a project manager as well as a designer as well as a creative. This book provides key strategies and tactics to help you establish yourself and your team as powerful players in your company. Experienced in-house designer Andy Epstein shows you how to:

• Communicate clearly and effectively
• Hire and train a winning team
• Work with other departments in the company
• Maximize efficiency within your group
• Make client management easy
• Cut through the read tape to create great design

Click here to purchase this book!

Both Jeni and Andy will be speaking at this year’s In-HOWse Conference in Denver from June 6-8. Please visit www.inhowseconference.com for more information!

When I was little, if someone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was inevitably “fireman” or “policeman”. That is, until I discovered comic books around age 9. It was love at first sight: cool images of superheroes beating the bad guy. I made my own homemade comics for years, and after high school I attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon & Graphic Art for a short time.

Alas, it just wasn’t meant to be. I was soon back home and felt very lost. I had spent most of my life up to that point obsessed with comics and how to draw them. I felt as if I’d completely failed. But I did have to keep moving forward; like my dad, I can’t seem to sit still for too long. So I planned to continue my education locally.

I decided to focus on graphic design at a community college whose Visual Communication program was in high regard. It wasn’t until I was in the program that I really saw the connection between comics and design. Storytelling, moving the viewer’s eye across the page, composition, layout, type… All the elements that made the comics of my youth so cool also worked in graphic design to make other stuff cool too!  I knew at this point I had found my new passion. I could create compelling, cool “stuff” that extended beyond the realm of fantasy heroes and had more practical applications.

My biggest failure has led to my design career that now spans just over a decade. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed. It truly does fly when you are having fun!  I still get that “Christmas morning” feeling when a finished project arrives and I get to unbox it and see the goodies inside.

Most of the time I still feel like that fresh-faced kid who just graduated and was ready to take on the world, especially when a new challenge presents itself. While I still have the same basic approach and use the same basic tools to solve these new problems, I think the best tool in my arsenal is my childlike wonder and my hard-earned experience so that I can offer fresh, appropriate solutions to my clients.

Nicholas J. Nawroth is a graphic designer and illustrator with 12 years of industry experience. He specializes in collateral materials, especially hi-end wine, microbrewery beers, and gourmet foods. He earned his design expertise by building an in-house graphic design department from the ground up for a local upscale grocery store chain. A serious Netflix addict, he spends many a weekend watching movies. He also spends a fair amount of time thinking about and eating cookies. You can see his work here www.nicholasjnawroth.com

As designers we first must choose this point of reference then look off into the distance and determine how far it will go, how much of the scene must be explored. We do this through a wonderful little document called a creative brief. The brief is our point of reference and ALL exploration must relate to that point. Without this starting point (or points) the remainder of the drawing will simply not make sense and will most certainly not provide a desired result for the client. Successful design solutions are just that -solutions. They must follow a path, lines that radiate from the reference point. This does not negate the importance of creativity and uniqueness rather it encourages it and provides a place for infinite interpretation.

As people our thoughts and feelings radiate from a very specific vantage point. Understanding where that point lies is critical. Without knowing the location of this point, perspective is literally lost. All human contact with animate or inanimate objects is based on relationships – how it is we relate to a given person, situation or thing. The relationship has a point of point of reference. If you are a manager or a wife or a father, your style and reactions comes from somewhere. It is based on innate personality traits you posses through no fault of your own and your experiences, some of which you control and others you do not. Add these together with a splash of environment and there is your unique perspective.

Regardless of whether you are creating design or interacting with your life and the people in it, perspective best starts with a point of view that is seen through a wide-angle lens. Too often we find that point of reference (applause inserted here), create relationship between our design, our employees, and our loved ones (standing ovation), but narrow our focus so far that we miss the beauty and the opportunities of the scene before us (boo, throw a rotten tomato). The idea here is to avoid taking a step back to look at the situation because the point of reference often can’t be changed or simply shouldn’t be. Rather than step back or forwards or sideways, try changing what you see without moving your feet. Change your lens to reveal as wide of a perspective as possible seeing the peripheral and the forefront all at once.

Perspective is a way of adding tangibility to an intangible world. When you are asked to create a visual communication solution for a client, a point of reference allows you to plant your feet and perspective allows you to create. When a situation hits you in the face, be a designer. Find your point of view, open the lens as wide as you can, and design your own reality.

This post was inspired by my conversation with Scott Wadler of MTV Networks. As a guest on “Talk Story with Jeni”, Scott and I shared many of our thoughts and ideas on living life large and making your career and your home places you love to be. Click here for a full hour of “Talk Story with Jeni” and Scott.