In this deeply personal conversation, branding designer Liz Mosley opens up about her creative journey from childhood curiosity to building a recognisable personal brand in the design industry. Starting with memories of making magazines with friends and being inspired by BBC's Blue Peter, Liz traces how early creative encouragement from her parents shaped her approach to design and business.

The conversation explores Liz's "rejection challenge"—a public project that transformed how she views failure and positioning in the creative industry. She shares how documenting rejections publicly helped her build confidence and attract opportunities, ultimately becoming her signature approach to making the design industry more approachable and human.

Liz discusses the evolution from feeling like an outsider in design to becoming a community builder who helps others navigate creative challenges. The dialogue covers the psychology of rejection, the power of storytelling in personal branding, and the importance of having clear purpose, goals, and values when making business decisions.

Key Takeaways

• Early creative encouragement matters: Supportive parents who allow messy creative exploration can shape lifelong creative confidence and willingness to experiment
• Rejection is part of the creative process: Expecting and normalising rejection makes it easier to handle and can actually lead to faster recovery and learning
• Confidence attracts opportunities: When you overcome fear of rejection, you naturally show up more confidently, which draws people and opportunities to you
• Community over competition: Actively participating in creative communities and making the industry more approachable benefits everyone, including your own career growth
• Personal branding requires clarity: The most successful personal brands communicate their message with crystal-clear purpose, goals, and values
• Storytelling follows a simple formula: Character + Conflict + Conclusion = compelling narratives that help people connect with your work and process
• Strategy doesn't need to be complicated: Having a goal, making a plan, and executing it is strategy in its purest form—don't overcomplicate it
• Know what you won't do: Being clear about your values and saying no to misaligned opportunities is as important as saying yes to the right ones
• Vulnerability creates connection: Sharing struggles and imperfections makes you more relatable and helps others feel less alone in their creative journeys
• Growth happens outside comfort zones: Taking calculated risks and pushing yourself slightly beyond what feels comfortable leads to breakthrough moments and career evolution

Daring Creativity. Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

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Mindful Creative: How to understand and deal with the highs and lows of creative life, career and business

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