Follow along with Kes on Instagram @thebraaand

https://www.instagram.com/thebraaand/

In this episode, Jordyn sits down with her close friend Kesia Nielsen, founder of Braaand, for an honest conversation about self-belief, identity, femininity in business, and what it really takes to build a creative agency.

Kes shares her journey from deep self-criticism to cultivated confidence, how she learned to trust herself in male-dominated spaces, and why staying rooted in identity is more powerful than adapting to the room. They dive into spirituality, burnout, confidence, and the unglamorous realities of entrepreneurship, from wearing every hat to redefining success on your own terms.

If you’re a designer, founder, or creative navigating growth, alignment, and self-trust, this episode is for you.

Keep the conversations going. Join The Mob: https://discord.gg/tZgNgkZKbT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jordyn opens up the anonymous advice inbox and goes deep on the questions designers are scared to ask out loud. The messy ones. The uncomfortable ones. The ones we’re all thinking about.

We talk about:

• Why networking feels transactional (and how to make it not suck)
• How AI is changing team dynamics and what designers can do to stay valuable
• UX strategy, stakeholder buy-in, and tying design to actual business outcomes
• The portfolio obsession, graphic design majors, and the gatekeeping debate
• Whether design has to be your whole personality to “make it”
• Why talented designers still aren’t getting hired (and the hard truths behind it)
• What new grads actually need to do to get their foot in the door

It’s honest. It’s opinionated. It’s a little grumpy in places. And it’s grounded in real experience, not LinkedIn platitudes.

If you’re feeling stuck, discouraged, overwhelmed by AI, or just tired of pretending the design industry isn’t weird right now, this one’s for you.

We’re all learning.

You’re not alone.

Submit your anonymous questions for next month here: https://forms.gle/yvY8CRX6cDMZqYQd6

Keep the conversations going. Join The Mob: https://discord.gg/tZgNgkZKbT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of us sprint through our careers without ever stopping to actually look at where we’re going. We jump from project to project, take whatever comes our way, and hope it somehow adds up to growth. But the truth? Creative careers don’t grow by accident, they grow by intention.

In this episode, we walk through a five-step process I recommend every designer do at the start of a new year. Think of it as your annual creative inventory, part self-reflection, part strategy, part “get your sh*t together.”

We break down:

1. Your Role Reality Check: what’s actually on your plate right now (the honest version).

2. Your Top Career Priorities: pulled straight from our Career Priorities framework so you can see whether your current job aligns with what matters most.

3. A Full UX Skills Assessment: using the Skills Matrix to understand where you’re strong, where you're stretched, and where you need support.

4. A 4–6 Week Energy Map: the simplest, spiciest diagnostic tool for figuring out what drains and fuels your work.

5. Finding the Overlap: the magic zone where your skills, energy, and priorities align… and how to build a monthly → quarterly → yearly plan around it.

This episode is for anyone feeling stagnant, misaligned, overwhelmed, or just curious about how to design a better year for themselves. No corporate jargon. No vague “follow your passion” nonsense. Just real talk, practical tools, and a reminder that your career is something you get to design on purpose.

Let’s get intentional. Let’s get honest.

And if you want the worksheets, join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/tZgNgkZKbT

Next week I'll be answering any questions you might have regarding design. Drop them here: https://forms.gle/ApmzJErvJsdczjRUA

Keep the conversations going. Join The Mob: https://discord.gg/tZgNgkZKbT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.