Michael Janda - Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they dont teach you in design school, but should (Voices That Matter)

Stuff They Dont Teach You in Design School, But Should

Michael Janda

Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they dont teach you in design school, but should
Michael Janda

Peachpit Press
www.peachpit.com
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Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education
Copyright 2013 by Michael C. Janda

Editor: Nikki McDonald
Production Editor: Danielle Foster
Design Manager: Charlene Will
Development and Copy Editor: Jan Seymour
Cover and Interior Design: Michael Janda
Illustrator: Nick Jarvis
Proofreader: Emily K. Wolman
Indexer: Emily Glossbrenner

Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact .

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit Press shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.

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Quote on page 127 from READY FOR ANYTHING by David Allen, copyright 2003 by David Allen. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Quote on page 180 from THINK AND GROW RICH, REVISED AND UPDATED by Napoleon Hill and Revised by Arthur R. Pell, copyright 2003, 2005 by JMW Group, Inc. Used by permission of Jeremy P. Tarcher, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

ISBN 13: 978-0-321-91868-0

ISBN 10: 0-321-91868-1

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed and bound in the United States of America

The straightforward and funny advice in Jandas book is what most people learn only after toiling in the corporate trenches for years. (Um, how dare he share ALL our secrets?!) I hope hes charging at least a years worth of school tuition for this book. Seriously, take copious notes on the practical suggestions offered here to help steer your own career, whether its your first job or your 75th freelance gig. The drama-free work approach and leadership style outlined in Burn Your Portfolio is what makes working with Mike and all the folks at his company, Riser, FUN and worthy of the cupcakes we send to celebrate each of our successes together.

Michelle Sullivan
VP Digital, Kids & Family Publishing and Media, National Geographic (aka 800-pound Gorilla Client)

This book should be a mandatory course at art schools...no, at all schools! The message transcends occupation; its about maneuvering through the unspoken rules and dynamics of various personalities in your workplace. Mike is a perfect person to deliver this message; his long-term relationships and success of his business are the true testimony of his skills on managing up, down, and sideways. Your talent alone will take you nowhere if your character doesnt support it. If you want longevity in your field, this book is a must-read.

Jane Bhang
Consulting Art Director, Sony Pictures Entertainment

I wish I could take every designer Ive ever worked with and smack them over the head with this book...which would hurt, because its big! After that, Id tell them to read it cover to cover, because Michael Janda will show them how to stop making the business mistakes nearly everyone in design is making.

Dave Crenshaw
Author of The Myth of Multitasking and The Focused Business

Burn Your Portfolio is an enjoyable, substantive gallop through an inventive guidebook for designers and programmers who envision themselves with a thriving business. It should be on every designers must-read list. Michael draws in the reader by showing rather than merely telling. He gives the book a human, personal touch by sprinkling the text with his own adventures. And though he is primarily speaking to designers, his message about honing interpersonal skills is imperative for ANY enterprise. As a client, that, more than anything, keeps me coming back.

Cheryl Saban, Ph.D.
Author ofWhat Is Your Self-Worth? A Womans Guide to Validationand founder of the Self Worth Foundation

I went to school to learn to be a designer. I went to Mike Janda to learn to run a design business. He is incredible. Ive never met anyone who literally understands everything that Ive ever struggled with since the day I graduated from school. From freelancing, contracts, and proposals to making the best business decisions and standing up to any kind of client, Janda tells you everything you need to know. His life lessons are quick, in laymans terms, and so amazingly valuable you will use something he teaches you every single day.

Lorilee Rager
Owner, Thrive Creative Group, LLC

Do you want to supercharge your design career? Drop that Wacom pen and immediately pick up Burn Your Portfolio, and read it cover to cover. Michael Janda clearly outlines practical, actionable advice that will make your design business better, your clients happier, and your teams more productive. Even if youre a freelancer just striking out on your ownno, especially if you arethe insights, truisms, and humor in this book will prove to be valuable tools in your design arsenal.

Marc Siry
SVP, Media Products, NBC Universal

This ones on fire! Burn Your Portfolio is hands-down the most entertaining, helpful, and hilarious insiders guide for creative professionals out there. Janda is an absolute genius when it comes to managing client expectations, creating production processes that actually work, and running a thriving and vibrant design business. He and I used to work together at FoxI owe much of my own success to his brilliant and zany methods.

Allison Ellis
Owner, Hopscotch Consulting

Michael Janda is the one person you want to listen to when it comes to advice about succeeding in a creative field! He has more creative talent, street smarts, and people skills than anyone I have ever met. What this book presents the reader with is an inside-track to those secrets in an appetizing collection of goodness!

Jeff Jolley
President, Riser

The starving artist clich has never been in greater danger.