Creative Growth Mindset: From Designer to CEO
It’s one thing to have a passion for creativity. It’s another to build a business around it. For many designers and creatives, the challenge isn’t talent. It’s turning that passion into sustainable income. With the right creative growth mindset, it's possible to transform your love for design into a thriving business and impact others along the way.
The Foundation: Belief in Yourself and Your Work
Starting a business can feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. That's how the journey began for one designer who, after earning a PhD in design and teaching at a university, made only $300 in her first 11 months as an entrepreneur. But she didn't give up.
Instead, she recognized the problem wasn’t her talent—it was a visibility issue. People couldn’t buy her work if they didn’t know it existed. Her first breakthrough came with one insight: building an audience or leveraging someone else's. With that shift, things began to change.
Turning Creative Skills Into a Scalable Business
The turning point wasn’t just about learning business strategy. It was about recognizing the need in the creative community. Designers were producing great work, but many had no idea how to make money from it. This sparked the launch of a design program built specifically to teach creatives both the art and business of design.
Within a few years, a solo design business evolved into a multi-million dollar enterprise. What started as a one-woman shop became a team of 18, running educational programs for hundreds of active members.
Creative Growth Requires More Than Talent
Talent is only part of the equation. What sets successful creatives apart is mindset, effort, and daily action. It’s about moving beyond limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome, and committing to consistent progress.
Two keys to success:
Track your progress – Know what you’re doing and why. Document your process.
Plan your time – Block off creative and business-building time every day.
Without a plan and structure, many creatives get stuck doing work they love but fail to turn it into sustainable income.
Mindset: The First and Biggest Hurdle
Before learning the tools of business, creatives must overcome self-doubt. If you don’t believe in your value, you won’t follow through. Many business owners have great ideas, but fear holds them back.
Getting over that first mental hurdle is essential. Once you start believing your work is valuable, everything changes. You start showing up differently, taking bigger actions, and putting in the necessary effort.
Why Community Matters for Creatives
One of the most important tools for success is community. Whether it’s a mastermind group, coaching program, or online support network, having a group of like-minded individuals creates energy, momentum, and accountability.
Community helps:
Counteract negative voices or doubters
Offer guidance and different perspectives
Provide emotional support during setbacks
For many creatives, joining a mastermind or structured program accelerates growth far more quickly than going it alone.
The Business of Design: A Real Curriculum
Traditional design programs often leave out the business side of creativity. That’s why new designers often enter the workforce with debt and limited earning potential.
In contrast, a strong creative business program teaches:
How to package and sell work
What it takes to build visibility and audience
How to price effectively
How to manage client relationships and feedback
When creatives learn business skills early, they’re empowered to build careers on their own terms—not just work for others.
From Coaching One to Leading Many
The success of a creative education program didn’t come from flashy marketing. It came from one goal: help one person.
That mindset—focus on the one – created a ripple effect. From small group critiques to large communities with squads, coaches, and peer-to-peer engagement, the program scaled while still maintaining individual attention and high standards.
Success Stories from Real Creatives
Results didn’t happen overnight. But when students implemented what they learned, they saw real change:
One creative who made only four sales in her first year closed $35,000 in client work after making key strategic shifts.
Another now earns enough freelance income to pay for her children’s private school.
Designers who once hesitated to sell are now confidently building product lines and client bases.
The Encore Career Movement
Many creatives in the program are between ages 40 and 65. They’re pursuing what’s often called an “encore career”—a second act filled with purpose and possibility. The average student age? 50. These creatives are proving it’s never too late to build a new career around your passion.
Final Thoughts: Dream Bigger, Act Bolder
Having a creative growth mindset means seeing obstacles as opportunities. It means choosing effort over excuses and believing your best work is still ahead.
If you’re stuck thinking you need more degrees or more experience, pause. What you really need is belief, structure, and action. Start by:
Building a schedule that supports your goals
Surrounding yourself with a supportive network
Tracking your progress
Investing in learning the business side of your art
Whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale, your creativity can power your career. But it takes a mindset shift to get there.
Believe in your work. Share it boldly. And take action, one step at a time.
