I am Michael Janda, an executive level creative leader with more than 25 years of experience in both in-house creative departments and agencies working with some of the greatest brands in the world including Disney, Google, Fox, ABC and NBC. I create books, courses, workshops, lectures and other training materials to help creative entrepreneurs run successful businesses.
There’s nothing quite like spending hours perfecting design concepts only to have the client casually knock them all down like a stack of poorly placed Jenga blocks. It sucks because you thought all three options were solid, and one of them was a full-on masterpiece. We’ve all been there. But…
We’ve all had that client—the one who wants to meet about everything. Sure, they’re excited about their project and love to talk with you about it, but let’s be honest, it can get out of hand. So how do you manage a client who wants meeting overload without damaging the…
I was totally burned out. I was in my second year of freelancing. From an outside perspective, things were going great. “Mike has tons of projects. Looks like he’s slaying it!” But behind the scenes, I was a wreck. I was stressed out and burned out, working 14-16 hours a…
I attended a lot of “networking” type of functions while I was growing my agency. I knew that there was a direct correlation between the amount of people I knew in the business world and the amount of opportunities, growth, and success my agency had. One of the networking groups…
In 2018, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) faced an unexpected crisis in the UK when they switched chicken suppliers. Unfortunately, the new supplier wasn’t able to deliver on time, leading to an unprecedented week-long closure of all KFC stores in the country. KFC lovers were disappointed, and the brand was embarrassed….
Nineteen years ago, my brother had his second child. They named him Thor Odin Janda…and not gonna lie, I’ve been massively jealous of his name ever since. My parents named me freakin’ “Mike!” I could have been named “Thor” my whole life?!?!?! Why didn’t anyone tell my parents that was…
Just like most designers starting out, I would just guess my prices. A client asks for a logo design and I’d think, “I can do it for $_____.” Yeah, that sounds good.” Then I would submit my price and hope to win. In fact, everything about my business was a…
I always loved making friends with other agency owners in my city. Anytime I would meet one at a networking event, I would set up a lunch to “talk shop.” It was an easy ask and an easy “yes” for them. After all, we were both part of an exclusive…
I left so much money on the table when I was scaling my creative agency. Oh man, it is so embarrassing to even confess it here. We would land a great project, then execute like prime Michael Jordan in the NBA finals. The client would be thrilled with the results….
I’ve been at this for a long time, the business and marketing game. At this point in my career, it is rare that I see something that blows me away. I’m not saying, “I know it all,” but I sure have seen a lot of great marketing and business tactics…
