What is the worst professional advice you ever received? I'll go first: "To be a millionaire, you have to have multiple streams of income." Of course, this information came from someone who wasn't and has never been a millionaire. The truth is, most millionaires have accumulated most of their initial wealth in one lane and then used the money from that venture and invest it. Me trying to have multiple streams of income, which just put me in a terrible box where I was a jack of all trades but a master of none. Especially in the design space. I messed around and learned 3D modeling, texturing, drawing, motion graphics, music, illustration, photography, animation, web design, and even tried learning how to make fonts. I ended up not being that great at most of them and confusing people about what I even did. I thought that each of these could be a different stream of income but the real growth will come from focusing up and making sure I get good in one area. What advice did you receive that sounded good, but did more harm than help?

1) Not spell-checking client copy A lot of times clients send the wording, and it’s tempting to just copy and paste and keep it moving. I did that… and it came right back with revisions because of typos and errors. So my Fix: Always run a quick spell check, even if the client wrote it. 2) Forgetting bleed for print I used to design edge-to-edge without leaving room for print trimming, so important details would get cut off. So my Fix: Add bleed (extra space around the edges) so nothing gets chopped. 3) Making a “white logo” by just inverting the black one I’d flip a black logo to white and call it a day… but that doesn’t always translate well depending on the logo. So my Fix: Build a proper white version when needed (not just an invert). 4) Presenting logos only on a white background In the real world, logos live on hats, shirts, brochures, signs, buildings, you name it. If you only show it on a white background, clients can’t “see” how it’s supposed to live. So my Fix: Use mockups and real-world placements so the client gets it instantly. 5) Sending only one file type I’ve seen designers charge extra for file formats, but I don’t rock with sending a client one file they can’t really use across everything they need. Fix: Send the full set of usable variations and formats. These 5 mistakes helped me grow into a better designer over time, and I’m still improving. Now I want to ask you: what’s a mistake you made as a designer (or business owner) that taught you a lesson? Drop it below.

I understand the AI fear, but I’m not letting that stop me from thriving!!!! #ai #designer #creative