Portfolios: can't live with them, can't live without them. We often obsess over all of the details that go into our portfolios, but what really matters? On this episode, I'll talk about the core things that need to be in a portfolio and why they're important to have.

At some point in you career, you may decide that you don't like the current path your on. When it's time for a change, it can be a challenge to make the jump when everyone already knows you for what you currently do. So how do you go about shifting your focus while still retaining clients and keeping your bills paid?

Feedback comes with the territory of being a designer. It's easy to take the good feedback and apply it (it also feels great to get)! But what do you do when the feedback isn't so great? Or its just downright awful? Of course some thick skin is required. But maybe there's lessons to be learned—or maybe its okay to disregard it altogether.

After improving the visual aspect of your craft, how do you go about measuring how successful your design is? Does it resonate with the target audience? Is it converting leads into customers? On the web, there are a lot of tools that get you the data you need. But what about other avenues of design, like print?

If you're starting out, networking might be a great option to quickly get in front of prospective clients. However, you might find that networking takes a bit of work before you gain clients from it! In this episode, I've got a few tips to help you get off the ground and running a bit quicker. Learn how to navigate networking events, conferences and make the most of your time while being there.

You probably know how frustrating it is when you're super excited about a design concept, but the person your designing it for isn't. All of a sudden, the cold feet set in and they've decided in an instant they want something super safe. How do you handle things when you're working with someone who is reluctant to change? It's about understanding and listening. In this episode, I've got a few steps that you can take to get things back on the right track.

There are so many articles out there that insist designers learn to program (or something similar). While it's good advice, I don't necessarily agree. It's great to learn to program, but I think designers can benefit by looking at other skills that contribute to our craft. There's one big one that doesn't even involve programming.

There comes a time when you can no longer accept every single client as a freelancer. This isn't a bad thing though—it's actually good news! But how do you go about deciding who makes the cut and who you have to turn away? Let's go through why it's important to set up a process for interviewing and choosing clients and how to make it best work for you.

As a freelancer, there will come a day when you look at what you charge clients and tell yourself: "I need a raise!" Like everything else, there's certainly an art form to increasing your rates. Let's talk about the best way to go get those new rates out without losing all of your current clients. We'll chat about ways you can soften the blow and position yourself as more valuable than you used to be!

You just landed a large, exciting project! But now the dread kicks in as you begin to add up the work that will be going into it. Is this the project where you're finally exposed for who you really are? Did you really take on more than you can handle this time? Perhaps all is not lost. Let's talk about what you can do to get things back on track and own that project like the awesome designer you are.