I've been thinking about what Linda Sum told me after the portfolio workshop:
"I would sit in front of my computer and google searched how other design leaders structure their portfolio... nothing spoke to me. Hours later, I still have a very generic (and boring) narrative."
I've heard this many times before, it's an age old problem that seems to plague even the most experienced of designers. For whatever reason, it's really hard to talk about your own work.
Maybe you're too close to the work to see its impact. Maybe you're obsessing over details instead of thinking about the storyline. Maybe you find it uncomfortable to talk about yourself.
The challenge isn't your work—it's translating your leadership impact into language that resonates with other executives. You know the strategic decisions you made, the team dynamics you navigated, the business outcomes you drove. But when it comes time to articulate this to someone who wasn't in the room, something gets lost.
Luckily, there is a science to this.
Linda discovered this exact method in our workshop:
"I realize it wasn't about confidence slowing me down. It was about having the right tools. Building a great portfolio is a science everyone can learn."
Her transformation happened in just three days. She stopped googling other people's portfolios and started building her own compelling narrative.
The question isn't whether you have valuable leadership experience. You do. The question is whether you can communicate that value clearly enough for hiring managers to see it.
Our next Powerful Portfolios workshop for designers in management is August 12-14. Only 8 spots left.
– Ryan
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All-New Workshop
Metrics for Senior Designers: Connect Design to the Bottom Line (3-day workshop): This isn't generic metrics training. This is the only metrics workshop that connects YOUR decisions to the real outcomes your company cares about.
Dates: August 26-28
Cool shares inside CDO School this week
What Figma will be up against in the near future → Our members are intrigued by this AI design tool and we'll be trying it out to see if it matches the hype.
Claude Chat Exporter Chrome Web Extension → I made a Chrome Web Extension which exports your Claude.ai conversations to a markdown file with one click.
How a better understanding of “emotional energy” can unlock your potential → We try to solve problems by focusing on situations. What if we focus on our emotional energy instead?
This Week in a GIF
