25. On Burnout, Focus, & Gaining Confidence in Networks with Philip VanDusen

Overview

Today I’m joined again by friend, mentor, and business colleague Philip VanDusen for Part 2 of our conversation. Philip was one of my first guests in Episode #6, and I ran out of time with him. As I mentioned then, he is one of my favorite people to talk to, and I seek him out often for his wisdom, so I wanted to have him back.

In this episode, I wanted to explore Philip’s thoughts on burnout, the issue with confidence that many, especially creative people, are experiencing during the pandemic, which he’s been witnessing amongst his community, and how he has sustained his own ambition over time. We also touch on how to maintain focus and discern between intentional use of time and procrastination. Philip would say, "Stop puttering!"

Philip has held esteemed roles in his creative career, such as VP Design at Old Navy and Pepsico, as well as serving as an Executive Creative Director on the agency side. After Corporate life, Philip went out on his own and now runs his own branding agency, as well as fosters a creative community. Philip offers a lot of free content to creatives and entrepreneurs, has a community to help reduce isolation and build confidence, and offers courses, which I encourage you to check out (with links below in the resources section).

Philip—thanks for all you do in sharing your learning with all of us and showing us the way towards building sustainable, rewarding careers and businesses!

More about Our Guest

Philip VanDusen is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Verhaal Brand Design a branding agency based in New Jersey, USA. As a thought leader, Philip shares his expertise in marketing, design and entrepreneurship on YouTube to his 200k subscribers, in his Brand•Muse newsletter, on the Brand Design Masters podcast, and in his Brand Design Masters Facebook community.

In his career, Philip has led creative teams on both the client and agency-sides— serving as VP of Design for PepsiCo and Old Navy and Executive Creative Director at the iconic branding firm Landor Associates. Past clients include a host of Fortune 100 companies.

Connect with Philip through his website and handles shared below in the resources section.

Topics Covered

  • We talk about burnout and why creative people, in particular, are suffering from burnout right now. It’s not just the pandemic, but a multitude of factors. The pandemic added more elements that can elevate stress. Some of what Philip shares applies to all of us and can explain why many people are feeling burned out at this stage.

  • Philip’s advice to address burnout - invest more in self care and make sure to schedule it into your day.

  • We also talk about being intentional about separating activities, work life and home life, say. I add others’ advice, too, that being present when doing each of these activities is helpful to make the time more productive, higher quality, and less stressful.

  • Philip shares how he keeps himself focused and intentional—a sign above his desk that reminds him to “stop puttering and do the work!”

  • How do you know if you are procrastinating or just needing a break in your day? Discern what busy work is vs. “work work.”

  • We talk about what Philip has been seeing at this time—a crisis of confidence—and how the pandemic has exacerbated this, especially for creative people. This has hit creative people especially hard, because they need frequent feedback on their work to gain confidence and determine their path. When isolated and doing independent work, you lose this feedback loop.

  • To gain that confidence, it’s helpful to participate in a community and to build meaningful networks, according to Philip. I, too, have found this to be the case and think it’s important for everyone to consider in managing their careers in a remote work environment. You are going to have to be more proactive in creating networks and building a broader skill set.

  • Philip gives us his perspective on Sustainable Ambition and what it means to him. He shares his perspective on what success means to him, which demonstrates how that view of success and one’s ambition can change over the course of one’s career. And he shares one thing he can’t live without—music—a creative outlet in his life that is just for him, that he loves, that he doesn’t have to worry about what anybody thinks about it. I think we should all think of having something like that as part of our “what sustains you” plan.

  • A final piece of advice to build sustainable and ambitious careers? Say yes to opportunities, no matter the stage of your career.

Resources Mentioned

Find Philip:

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25. On Burnout, Focus, & Gaining Confidence in Networks with Philip VanDusen

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2021Kathy OnetoRight Success, Right Effort, Right Aspiration