What the Helvetica?

For: Graphic designers, creative freelancers, YouTubers, and anyone navigating the mental game of the creative industry.

Struggling with imposter syndrome, burnout, or creative overwhelm? In this episode, Michael Janda and Will Paterson get real about the emotional rollercoaster of creative careers. From personal breakdowns to big breakthroughs, we unpack what it really means to succeed as a designer, YouTuber, and entrepreneur in today’s AI-driven world. Learn why saying “no” is essential, how to stay human in your work, and why being their favorite matters more than being the best.

🔑 Topics:

• Imposter Syndrome in Creatives
• Dealing with Burnout
• Creative Business Boundaries
• YouTube Growth & Personal Branding
• AI vs Human Creativity

About Will Paterson:

Will Paterson is a graphic designer and content creator specializing in logo design, hand lettering, and brand identity. He shares his knowledge and expertise to help other designers. The channel offers:

✅ In-depth design tutorials

✅ Logo critique and review videos

✅ Graphic design tips and tricks

✅ Brand identity breakdown videos

 

This channel aims to help students, freelancers, and in-house designers. YOUTUBE // WEBSITE  // MASTERCLASS // INSTAGRAM

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Bri, MCA's very own VP of Operations, joins us on WTH to talk about alll the details for our upcoming Creative Professional Retreat, Morepalooza. The retreat is set to begin in London September 10-14 with a one-day workshop stacked with incredible creative talent. 

Swag. Venues. Excursions. Weather. What to Expect and more. If you are considering attending Morepalooza or you've snagged tickets, this episode is for you!

LEARN MORE

GRAB TICKETS

 

🤝 Connect with Michael Janda

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Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic, and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.”

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda
• Website: https://michaeljanda.com
• Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com
• Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

What does a third-grade drawing of Shaq, a $3,000 domain deal, and notebook paper from Walmart have to do with building a global creative brand?

In this episode of What the Helvetica, Mike Janda sits down with Tyler Tolson, founder of Denik, to explore the real behind-the-scenes of how a small idea in college became a purpose-driven design brand building schools around the world.

🎙️ We talk about:

• How Tyler turned a personal passion into a full-time creative business
• What it really takes to build your design agency from scratch
• Why grit outperforms talent every single time
• Embracing creative failure, surviving stress, and finding your “why”
• The true story behind Denik’s name, funding, and first machines (and yes, it involves beef bologna)
• How Denik’s design-forward notebooks are competing with Moleskine — one bold decision at a time

Whether you're freelancing, building a brand agency, or stuck in survival mode trying to figure it all out — this is the episode that reminds you: You're too good to throw away.

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🤝 Connect with Michael Janda

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Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic, and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.”

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda
• Website: https://michaeljanda.com
• Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com
• Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

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🤝 Connect with Tyler Tolson

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Tyler Tolson is the CEO and Founder of Denik (deh-neek), a designer notebook and lifestyle product company that uses a portion of its funds to build schools and support artists. He started the company in 2011 as an artist and full-time student at Utah State University. The company has blossomed into an 8-figure brand and serves customers like Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, and Target in over 16,000 retail locations in North America. Denik also produces custom notebooks for brands like Nike, Disney, Google, and TikTok. The Denik creative community has funded and built 10 schools to date — in Laos, Guatemala, Ghana, Nicaragua, Senegal, Mali, Malawi, and Nepal.

Tyler has been named a “Young Emerging Leader” by the Leader to Leader Institute in New York and was selected as one of the "Top 40 Under 40" leaders in the Gift and Stationery Industry. He currently serves on the Entrepreneurship Center Board at the Huntsman School of Business. Over the past eleven years, he has taught and trained audiences of various capacities, and has consulted entrepreneurs, students, and artists at all stages of business. However, Tyler's greatest accomplishment is marrying the girl of his dreams and raising his five (almost six) rockstar kids.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.at.denik/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylertolson
Shop Denik: https://denik.com/
Book a call with Tyler: https://calendly.com/tylerdenik

In this bold and honest What the Helvetica episode, Mike Janda reviews the real portfolio of Tonichi — an art director with serious agency cred and a broad creative skillset. We dive into her site, case studies, UX decisions, and brand positioning to uncover what works, what needs tweaking, and how to turn great work into even greater opportunities.

If you’ve ever wondered whether being a generalist hurts your chances or how to land your dream agency job, this episode is a goldmine.

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What You’ll Learn

• Why strong work still gets overlooked — and how to fix that

• How to emotionally hook agency hiring managers in 2 clicks

• The pros and cons of being a generalist in today’s creative industry

• The anatomy of a high-converting homepage

• What agencies really look for in a portfolio

• Why showing your face might be your biggest asset in 2025

• Strategic tweaks to design hierarchy, CTAs, and UX

• How to balance agency dreams with freelance goals

• When (and how) to use personal branding vs studio branding
  
  

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🤝 Connect with Michael Janda

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Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.”

Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda

Website: https://michaeljanda.com

Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com

Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

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🤝 Connect with Tonichi Acenas

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Tonichi Acenas (pronounced as Toh-nee-chee A-sen-us) is a brand designer and photographer from Manila, Philippines. She has previously worked with clients like Toyota, Olay, and Tim Hortons at ad agency Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, and has also worked in-house at a local startup where she helped design retail brands and concepts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okaygoodstudio

Website: tonichiacenas.com

 

In this episode of What The Helvetica, Michael Janda sits down with Jeremy Berger — designer, printmaker, and founder of Blaken Press — for a wide-ranging conversation on art, burnout, motorcycles, creative dreams, and building a life by design.

From his early days at Art Center College of Design to working on dream projects for Harley-Davidson, Jeremy shares what it really takes to survive the creative industry — and how he blends hands-on analog work with digital grit to keep his style and soul intact.

 

🎙️ About What the Helvetica? Podcast

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”What the Helvetica?” is an engaging series of conversations between Michael Janda and guest entrepreneurs, delving into the realities of building a business. What happens behind the curtain? What crucial insights remain unspoken? It’s not all sunshine and roses; ”What the Helvetica?” dives deep to unveil the raw truths of entrepreneurship—good, bad, and ugly—and listeners may learn a thing or two along the way.

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-helvetica/id1744396039

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03dUQpH60WJwgkDZqZLnr3?si=c3abf90398bd456a

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5ee30875-178e-460f-bd13-aa3b751a2e70

🎧 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/172847580

🎧 Other App Links Are Here: https://www.whatthehelveticapodcast.com

 

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🤝 Connect with Michael Janda

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Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.”

Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda

Website: https://michaeljanda.com

Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com

Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

 

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🤝 Connect with Jeremy Berger

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Jeremy Berger is a California-born graphic artist and printmaker with deep roots in the apparel industry. Over the years, he’s created production-ready artwork for iconic brands like Harley-Davidson, Fasthouse, and Wrangler. As founder of Blaken Press Design Co., Jeremy blends design and boutique print production under one roof—offering illustration-driven branding and experimental merch for both global names and independent labels.

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaken_press/

Website: https://www.blakenpress.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-berger-0b380a6a/

🎙️ What’s in Today’s Episode?

This week, we're talking all things freelancing, creative growth, and marketing hacks for designers! Mike Janda sits down with multidisciplinary designer Maiteryee Kalaskar (M for short 😉) to break down strategies for finding clients, staying consistent in marketing, and building authority as a creative professional.

🎧 Episode Highlights:
🧠 The Power of Consistency: Why "hope is not a strategy" and how to consistently market your services.
💡 Top 3 Sales Strategies for Creatives: Practical tips for staying top of mind, networking, and building authority.
🛠️ Cold Emailing Done Right: How to approach skincare brands (or any industry) with confidence.
🌍 Networking That Works: How face-to-face connections can lead to big opportunities.
💰 Who Should Sell Your Services? Exploring whether to hire a salesperson or handle it yourself.
🎨 Authority Building: Why posting online can give you the edge in client selection.
💡 Bonus: M shares how her YouTube presence helped her land a skincare client—and why consistency matters more than ever.

💡 Key Takeaways for Freelancers & Agencies:
📌 Every day, do something related to sales. Small actions build momentum.
📌 Use a niche landing page to stand out in cold outreach.
📌 Build authority by showcasing your work and expertise online.
📌 No one closes sales better than YOU. Own your expertise.

 

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🎙️ About What the Helvetica? Podcast

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”What the Helvetica?” is an engaging series of conversations between Michael Janda and guest entrepreneurs, delving into the realities of building a business. What happens behind the curtain? What crucial insights remain unspoken? It’s not all sunshine and roses; ”What the Helvetica?” dives deep to unveil the raw truths of entrepreneurship—good, bad, and ugly—and listeners may learn a thing or two along the way.

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-helvetica/id1744396039

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03dUQpH60WJwgkDZqZLnr3?si=c3abf90398bd456a

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5ee30875-178e-460f-bd13-aa3b751a2e70

🎧 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/172847580

🎧 Other App Links Are Here: https://www.whatthehelveticapodcast.com

 

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🤝 Connect with Michael Janda

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Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.”

Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda

Website: https://michaeljanda.com

Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com

Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

 

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🤝 Connect with Maitreyee Kalaskar

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Maitreyee Kalaskar is celebrated for her vibrant, bold design style and her constant drive for experimentation. Through her social media platforms, she shares valuable insights, tips, and resources from her experiences. She also engages with the global creative community by hosting meet-ups and live sessions to discuss key topics in the creative industry.

Mee Studios, founded by Maitreyee Kalaskar, is a multidisciplinary creative agency that specialises in custom design solutions. We feel no two brands are alike, so the same solution cannot be copy-pasted. With experience working with major brands like Budweiser, OnePlus, Adobe, UCLA, and ADPList, the studio blends in-house talent and renowned freelancers to deliver top-tier creative work.

Behance: https://www.behance.net/Maitreyee_kal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maitreyeekalaskar/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maitreyee_kal/ | https://www.instagram.com/meestudios_/

Website: https://meestudios.in/

 

In this episode of 'What the Helvetica', Mike Janda is joined by UK advertising veteran Thad Cox. Thad shares his unique insights on the ever-changing landscape of advertising and branding. From the evolution of Instagram content to disruptive packaging and emotional advertising, this episode is packed with valuable information. Thad also highlights innovative campaigns from brands like Lala Cafe's drive-by kindness and Gentle Monster's art gallery approach to sunglasses, and explains how the Wimbledon social media strategy gained 1 million new followers in 14 days. A must-watch for anyone interested in creative marketing strategies!

 

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🎙️ About What the Helvetica? Podcast

----------------------

”What the Helvetica?” is an engaging series of conversations between Michael Janda and guest entrepreneurs, delving into the realities of building a business. What happens behind the curtain? What crucial insights remain unspoken? It’s not all sunshine and roses; ”What the Helvetica?” dives deep to unveil the raw truths of entrepreneurship—good, bad, and ugly—and listeners may learn a thing or two along the way.

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-helvetica/id1744396039

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03dUQpH60WJwgkDZqZLnr3?si=c3abf90398bd456a

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5ee30875-178e-460f-bd13-aa3b751a2e70

🎧 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/172847580

🎧 Other App Links Are Here: https://www.whatthehelveticapodcast.com

 

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🤝 Connect with Michael Janda

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Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.”

Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda

Website: https://michaeljanda.com

Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com

Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

 

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🤝 Connect with Thad Cox

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Thad is a former Creative Director from the ad world, helping creative business owners use that creativity they’ve got to build their business in a way that’s effective and makes them happy, instead of them feeling like they have to sell their souls to survive.

Website: www.thadcox.co.uk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mrthadcox

Twitter: @mrthadcox

LinkedIn: @mrthadcox

Facebook: @coxthad

Substack: https://thadcox.substack.com/

Discover the art and science of brand naming with branding expert Rob Meyerson. In this insightful interview, learn essential strategies for creating memorable and impactful brand names. From qualitative and quantitative research to effective client communication, gain valuable insights to elevate your branding game. Join host Mike Janda on What the Helvetica as he delves into the world of brand naming and strategy with expert guest Rob Meyerson. Learn about the significance of qualitative and quantitative research, effective client communication, and the value of strategic thinking in creative work.

 

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🎙️ About What the Helvetica? Podcast

----------------------

”What the Helvetica?” is an engaging series of conversations between Michael Janda and guest entrepreneurs, delving into the realities of building a business. What happens behind the curtain? What crucial insights remain unspoken? It’s not all sunshine and roses; ”What the Helvetica?” dives deep to unveil the raw truths of entrepreneurship—good, bad, and ugly—and listeners may learn a thing or two along the way.

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-helvetica/id1744396039

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03dUQpH60WJwgkDZqZLnr3?si=c3abf90398bd456a

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5ee30875-178e-460f-bd13-aa3b751a2e70

🎧 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/172847580

🎧 Other App Links Are Here: https://www.whatthehelveticapodcast.com

 

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🤝 Connect with Michael Janda

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Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.”

Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda

Website: https://michaeljanda.com

Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com

Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

 

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👋 Connect with Rob Meyerson

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Rob Meyerson is principal and founder of Heirloom, an independent brand strategy and identity firm. He is the co-author of Designing Brand Identity, sixth edition, and author of Brand Naming. He also hosts How Brands Are Built, a popular branding podcast and blog.

Heirloom: https://www.heirloomagency.com/

How Brands Are Built (blog/podcast): https://howbrandsarebuilt.com/

Brand Naming on Amazon: https://a.co/d/3Ulw4kK

Designing Brand Identity on Amazon: https://a.co/d/jiK3kIp

Personal Website: https://robmeyerson.com/