Yup, I got fired from a logo project.

I should have known from the very start when I tried to conduct preliminary brand research to uncover the brand’s mission, values, and unique difference. The information that will inform all my future designs.

“Let’s skip that. I want to see what you draw up with a blank slate.”

Getting this email was my first warning sign.

But instead of pushing back, I agreed – I wanted to be flexible. Fast forward a few weeks, and I presented three rounds of logo concepts with zero alignment with the client.

They didn’t like a single one and so… they fired me.

🍑 This sticky note saved my…

Because they didn’t see “the perfect logo,” they assumed I lacked the skills.

Now, as a creative, when someone says, “I don’t like this,” it’s easy to hear, “I don’t like you.”

We pour our energy, thought, and time into this work – so the feedback hits deep.

And the instinct is to get defensive. To push back. To burn the bridge.

But I’ve got a Post-it on my monitor with one word crossed out: React.

Underneath it: Reflect.

🔄 Instead, I turned it around…

I stayed in a solution-oriented mindset, even when my instincts told me to get defensive.

I just told them, ‘I want to make you happy. If you want another designer, I’ll get one.’ I made it clear I still wanted to help, even if I wasn’t the right fit for that one project.

And guess what?

They took me up on it. We continued working together on their website design. Now, I’ve got a new designer ally – and a future source of referrals

If I had reacted emotionally?

That client door would’ve slammed shut. And my referral network wouldn’t have grown.

⚠️ Before blaming your designer… read this:

Think about the creative projects you’ve worked on most recently.

How often are you getting into the weeds of strategy when you send a design request? Or are you expecting creatives to read your mind?

In most cases, I see small business owners give creative prompts that focus only on the asset, not the context around it.

Asking to create a logo without explaining your brand’s personality or goals.
Asking to design a landing page without mapping out the customer journey.
Asking to craft an ad without clarity on the audience your sending it to.

But creative only works when it’s rooted in real brand understanding.

Which is also why it’s a bad idea for small business owners to hand off design tasks to a myriad of freelancers who only have a surface-level knowledge of your brand.

It leads to a result that’s simply… off.

And you waste time revising, re-explaining, and redoing everything.

❓ Why I do things differently

I’ve learned my lesson – now I never skip my strategy deep-dive. It’s the first thing we tackle when we start working together, and it’s the most critical part of my process.

We start with a deep understanding of your brand: your values, your tone, your positioning. That way, you don’t have to redo the same creative 15 times.

If that sounds like the kind of partnership you’ve been missing…

👉 Click here to schedule a free consultation.

We’ll see if we’re a good fit to work together.

Talk soon,

P.S. Just finished up a website design for Mind Growth Lab. Check it out!