“Busy is a decision.”
– Debbie Millman

This special episode is shorter than usual and features one of the most popular guests we’ve ever had on the podcast. Debbie Millman (@debbiemillman) was named by Graphic Design USA as “one of the most influential designers working today.” She is also the founder and host of Design Matters, the world’s first and longest-running podcast about design, where she’s interviewed nearly 300 design luminaries and cultural commentators including Massimo Vignelli and Milton Glaser.

Debbie’s done it all. Her artwork has been exhibited around the world. She is the President Emeritus of AIGA (one of only five women to hold the position in the organization’s one-hundred-year history), the editorial and creative director of Print magazine, and the author of six books. In 2009, Debbie co-founded (with Steven Heller) the world’s first masters program in branding at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, which has received international acclaim.

In this episode, Debbie outlines:

• How to bounce back from rejection and criticism.
• The importance of mental health.
• Whether courage or confidence is more important.
• Five questions to help clarify your own purpose.
• And much, much more.

Enjoy!

Want to hear my first episode with Debbie Millman? — Listen to this episode, where we discuss how to recover from rejection, how to overcome personal crises of faith, class exercises from her most impactful mentors, and much more. (stream below or right-click here to download):

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Connect with Debbie Millman:

Website | Design Matters Podcast | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Show Notes

• Influential and most-gifted books. [08:31]
• Debbie reads us her favorite poem. [09:47]
• What recent purchase of $100 or less has had the most positive impact on Debbie’s life? [11:31]
• Does Debbie have a favorite failure that set her up for later success? [11:54]
• What would Debbie’s billboard say? [13:38]
• One of the most worthwhile investments Debbie has made. [15:16]
• An unusual habit or absurd thing Debbie loves. [21:32]
• What belief, behavior, or habit has most improved Debbie’s life in the past five years? [22:37]
• What advice would Debbie give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real” world (and what advice should they ignore)? [26:04]
• Bad recommendations Debbie hears in her field often. [28:52]
• What fortune cookie advice does Debbie heed to overcome feeling overwhelmed or unfocused? [29:49]

People Mentioned

Posted on: March 21, 2018.

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Who was interviewed? Here's a very partial list: tech icons (founders of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Craigslist, Pinterest, Spotify, Salesforce, Dropbox, and more), Jimmy Fallon, Arianna Huffington, Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York), Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ben Stiller, Maurice Ashley (first African-American Grandmaster of chess), Brené Brown (researcher and bestselling author), Rick Rubin (legendary music producer), Temple Grandin (animal behavior expert and autism activist), Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Dara Torres (12-time Olympic medalist in swimming), David Lynch (director), Kelly Slater (surfing legend), Bozoma Saint John (Beats/Apple/Uber), Lewis Cantley (famed cancer researcher), Maria Sharapova, Chris Anderson (curator of TED), Terry Crews, Greg Norman (golf icon), Vitalik Buterin (creator of Ethereum), and nearly 100 more. Check it all out by clicking here.