Newsletter issue: #176
Read time: 1m 49s

In 2022, I rejected my second Head of Product Design job offer.

They offered $150,000, after tax.

I still said no.

Was I high? Nope.
On drugs? Negative.
Just stupid? Possibly.

But here's the twist: it was the best damn decision I've ever made.

You see, most people approach their design career like this:

“Let me build a decent portfolio → get a good job → climb the ladder → repeat until death.”

There's actually a secret path.

It's called building a personal brand.

I know what you’re thinking, “Chris, that’s maximum LinkedIn cringe”.

Hear me out, this is what my life looked like before:

• Corporate politics (kill me)
• Begging for 5% raises (if I’m lucky)
• Endless job applications (I saw no decent design leadership roles)
• Minimum 6 interview rounds each interesting role
• Getting passed over for opportunities because I didn’t “look experienced” enough

And after:

• Recruiters flooding my inbox
• Getting paid to speak at UX events
• People reaching out asking for help
• Working on projects I actually care about, UX Playbook
• 50+ partnerships in 2024 with brands like Notion, Framer, Miro

You: How exactly does this work, Chris?
Me: [takes sip of coffee] It starts with understanding one critical thing...

Personal branding isn't about becoming TikTok famous.
It's about becoming THE ONLY obvious choice for a specific thing.

"Take a simple idea, and take it seriously," the late Charlie Munger said.

My simple idea? Make UX education digestible and fun.

Not revolutionary. But I took it seriously. Dead seriously.

I built my entire brand around a 6-step framework:

1. Define clear goals (beyond "make money")
2. Know your What, How, Why
3. Choose your audience (hint: not "everyone")
4. Understand their deepest needs
5. Live your values loudly
6. Let your actual personality shine

The framework works like a nuclear reactor. Each part reinforcing the others until suddenly... 💥 BOOM.

You're not just another designer. You're THE designer people think of first.

Look, if you're showing up to work just collecting pay checks, that's cool. No judgment.

But if you feel that voice inside saying "the ordinary life isn't for me"… maybe it's time to try something different.

Most designers can push pixels. What they can't replicate?

YOU.

Your vibe.
Your story.
Your specific cocktail of skills and perspective.

That's your superpower.

And it's worth way more than $150K.

Ready to build your brand? Below I've included exercises & templates that turn this framework from "nice idea" to "holy shit it's working".

Start Building Your Personal Brand