Most creative businesses burn out for one reason: They say yes to the wrong work.

In this episode, Monique Ritter sits down with Wilian Iralzabal, founder of Zaval Media, to talk about the power of conviction, choosing clients with care, and how to stay human in a fast-moving AI world.

If you’re a designer, founder, or builder trying to scale without selling out, this one’s for you.

—

📍 Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro & setting the tone

2:11 – How Monique and Wilian met

5:30 – What “authentic design” actually means

12:00 – Wilian’s immigrant story and early drive

17:35 – From speech & debate to web design: building

communication skills

21:00 – Staying playful with AI tools (and avoiding burnout)

24:15 – The “People > Project > Payment” framework

30:40 – Why Wilian turns down clients (and how he does it)

35:12 – Protecting your team at all costs

38:45 – AI vs intuition: how to keep your edge

43:00 – Have you ever fired a client?

47:30 – The risk of compromising on fit

50:20 – What to look for in a good client

56:45 – Tools, practices, and advice for creative leaders

1:00:10 – Mentorship, automation, and playing the long game

1:02:00 – Final thoughts & how to work with Wilian