Part 1: Let Them – The Mindset That Changed Everything
I’ve just started reading The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, and within the first few pages, I felt like something clicked. This mindset — this idea — is something I’ve unknowingly carried with me since my early university days. I just didn’t have a name for it until now.
As a creative professional working in the space where strategic design meets the need to create something beautiful, I’ve learned the importance of understanding what’s truly in my control. Over the years, especially in client collaborations and team environments, the Let Them philosophy has been an anchor. For me, it’s not about detachment or apathy — it’s about perspective, and choosing where to place my energy.
In a client setting, I remind myself constantly: I can’t control someone’s frame of reference. What I can do is ask the right questions, listen deeply, and strive to understand where they’re coming from. From there, I can demonstrate how their ideas, needs, and goals can be translated into something creative, effective, and on-brand. That’s the space where I thrive — bridging their vision with my expertise.
And yet, it’s not always easy.
There are moments when a client doesn’t see what I see. When they don’t immediately align with a design I feel is the most strategically sound or visually refined. Those moments can feel disappointing — even vulnerable. But here’s what I’ve found to be true, time and time again: when I apply their feedback, collaborate with openness, and develop the idea together — the result is always something I still love. Not just from a strategic perspective, but from a creative one too. And most importantly, so do they.
This mindset has protected not only my creative confidence but also the integrity of the collaborative process. It’s helped me stay grounded, curious, and open — and it’s something I think more designers need to hear.
If you’re a designer reading this, and you’ve ever felt disheartened when your work doesn’t hit straight away, I see you. But remember: you get to choose how you respond to feedback, how you structure your process, and how you communicate. Maybe the brief needs better questions. Maybe there wasn’t a proper brief at all. Maybe your client just needs to understand the why behind the design.
Your process should be both seamless and challenging — easy for your client to engage with, but deep enough to bring them into the importance of what you do.
Because this work is important. And how you carry yourself in the face of feedback can be just as powerful as the work itself.
