Today I am at the task of updating and improving my website. I seem to have spent an hour just staring at my monitor hoping that some inspiration would strike. So far the only thing that has hit me is hunger pangs. Self promotion has always eluded me and I think a lot of other designers and business people. If I were working with a client, I'd ask them what sets their business or product apart from all the others. When I ask myself that question, I turn into a huge ball of stress that can't find my way through the maze of my own head.

What sets me apart from other designers? My experience? My perspective? How is my approach different than my fellow designers? All good questions, but how do I answer them?

For a start, I treat my clients with respect and approach every new account with open ears. They know their business inside and out and it's my job to learn as much about their business as possible BEFORE I make any recommendations or assumptions. When I worked as a Creative Director for an agency in the Twin Cities, I was always amazed at everyone's different reads and perspectives after meeting with a potential client. We all live in our own realities and each of us is unique in what we bring to the table. As a creative director, it was my job to direct our entire team to a 'best' solution. This included more than creative direction. It was a concerted effort between creative, media, marketing and production to give each client a unique, 'best bang for their buck', integrated plan. It lead to some heated discussions between departments about where the dollars would best be spent. But it also led to some great results.

So as I move along trying to update my brand, I've  realized I need to do some collaboration therapy. More on that later.