From graphic design to fractional leadership

I get asked this a bit, through my fractional work, coaching at Creative HQ, and mentoring with Summer of Tech: how did you go from graphic design to the work you do now?

“How did you go from graphic design to the work you do now?”

Looking back, the path makes more sense now than it did at the time. I started in design, then moved into digital, project management, account management, product, and delivery. Then into operational and advisory work.

At each step, I got more interested in the people and the challenges behind the work than the work itself. How teams operated. What was getting in the way. What helped things move forward.

I wasn't chasing a plan. I was following what interested me, and that shifted a bit with each role.

I still think like a designer today. Just working on different problems. Instead of laying out a page, I'm helping a leadership team lay out their priorities. Instead of designing for a user, I'm working out what a business or a founder actually needs.

The skills seem to travel further than the job title suggests. Curiosity about people and problems, a good eye for what's not working, and the ability to bring some order to something messy. That's useful whether you're designing a brochure or helping a leadership team through a hard quarter.

I didn't plan this path. But I wouldn't change how it unfolded.