Debbie Millman: Why Design Matters

At a certain point in our careers, there are no more promotions to seek. No more pay raises to demand. No more competition to be had.... At the peak of our careers, a sense of achievement can be offset by the sheer terror of falling down to the bottom again.

For over thirty years, Debbie Millman established herself as a creative leader, on her own terms. Designer. Educator. Artist. Brand Consultant. Podcast Host. But unlike many others, Debbie did not just invent a brand. She focused on building character, creating a great reputation, and ultimately mastering her craft.

The iconic host of one of the world's longest-running podcasts, Design Matters, joins me in this episode to share the ups and downs of her incredible journey, the lessons learned, roles played, and her plans for the future.

If you don't know yet, Debbie is also the author of six books, including two collections of interviews that have extended the ethos and editorial vision of Design Matters to the printed page: How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer and Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits. She has an upcoming book based majorly on her podcast Design Matters, called Why Design Matters.

Highlights of our conversation:

  • Finding out what you truly love to do
  • How speaking publicly about childhood trauma on Tim Ferriss’ podcast shifted her healing process forward
  • Why we become more intentional about our time as we grow older
  • Debbie shares one of the most profound pieces of advice from an interview guest she’s ever talked to, David Lee Roth (When you’re on the top, there’s only one way to go).
  • Debbie shares why how her success came as a result of self-loathing and over-achieving as a young person
  • Why is it more important to evolve as a person than as a brand? What’s the difference?

Enjoy!

Have a question?
Text me 1-206-309-5177

Tweet me @chasejarvis

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Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

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