YOUR PORTFOLIO!

Spending these two days together

will make ALL THE HOURS you spent in studio WORTH IT.

Your Portfolio is the most important presentation of the beginning of your design career.

If done EXTREMELY well, it's the only one with the potential to bring you THOUSANDS of dollars in a higher starting salary, access to INCREDIBLE office networks and their top projects... and it can even win you the respect and admiration of your peers.

Sounds amazing, right??  

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After years of devoting ourselves to our projects, come graduation, we ALL intuitively feel the weight and importance that our final portfolio carries. 

We want our projects to look OUTSTANDING - to reflect the Herculean effort of blood, sweat, and tears that has gone into each one.

But when our projects fall short of these sky-high expectations, it can create such a trap. 

For example, in trying to finish your portfolio, have you ever: 

• blocked off time, told yourself you would FINISH IT... but wind up procrastinating again + again?
  • Hint: perfectionism can make us subconsciously believe 'if I can't guarantee it'll be PERFECT, then I don't even want to start'
• worked for HOURS on one part you thought was important, only to realize it didn't make a huge difference overall..? 
• seen your friends + classmates' progress, and even though you're excited for them, now you feel even MORE STRESSED about making your portfolio look good??

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Back in grad school that was me!!! God, it was rough.

We all know studying at a top program is CHALLENGING and preparing to enter a highly competitive industry is STRESSFUL.

Looking back now I can see that without the right support in place, it was so easy for me to slip into comparison or self-doubt...

 ESPECIALLY when I was working on my final portfolio. 

Anxiety was real! I just didn't realize it at the time. (And when I felt sleep-deprived all those feelings felt bigger until I caught up on sleep. Yikes.)

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I want to get the word out: Guys, these feelings are NORMAL!

Especially when you're first learning everything in school.

Certainly during certain points during the life of a creative project, even when you have year of experience (srsly)

My point is, it's kinda hard to do great work efficiently when your mind is not focused or confident with a clear action plan. 

On my path, I was very lucky and quickly upleveled my presentation skills at my first job.

My talented teammates provided the consistent SUPPORT and GUIDANCE I didn't realize I was missing. 

The intensive deadlines gave me opportunity after opportunity to practice. I worked long hours and committed to improving. And I did. 

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Now I want to share with you the advanced presentation strategies I mastered early on in my career. 

Inside of my Portfolio Party Package, you'll learn: 

• Where your PRESENTATION BLINDSPOTS are! In order words, you'll find out exactly where you need the most help, because I will personally be reviewing your work + calling them out
  • Note: It's hard for us to realize certain areas where we need to improve the most
• What is MOST IMPORTANT to spend time on + what is not: what to minimize or delete + what to add for greatest clarity 
• Specific BEST ways to quickly adjust your 3d views for maximum impact.
  • Remember, 3D VIEWS SELL YOUR PROJECTS. And it's NOT the tweaks you might think! 
• the ENORMOUS variety of high-level micro-adjustments senior designers use to make EACH PAGE of a presentation outstanding
• approx. how long it may take you to make these updates. You receive customized REALISTIC work plan for setting progress goals + truly accomplishing them.
  • Different students have different productivity styles, so I take the time to understand what will work best for you before I advise:) 

IMPACT

When looking to secure an amazing internship or job, a well-designed portfolio is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING UNDER YOUR CONTROL: it makes your work shine, secures you the interview, then dramatically increases your chances of landing a dream job AND creates serious leverage to command a much higher starting salary.

Designers who master this skill early in school have such an advantage. 

They go on to apply these skills to their studio projects - with it, they’re able to slip those projects right into their portfolios after the final presentation. That’s the best case scenario. 

The worst case scenario: getting overwhelmed and procrastinating.

Feeling confused and frustrated. Never feeling proud of your work… not getting the chance to work at your dream firm. 

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After my students learn EXACTLY what to focus on, their presentation skills dramatically improve and they can't WAIT to finish and interview. 

It’s still a lot of work, but when you finally figure out exactly how to create an amazing collection of your projects, it becomes exciting again! 

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I love to share exactly what my experienced and trained eye notices and looks for on every single page of a presentation.

By the end of the first Portfolio Party Day with me, my students begin to notice each of these elements for themselves and how to improve.

For my students who master the art of creating an incredible portfolio with me right before they graduate, they walk into their first real job on Day One with advanced presentation skills.

They will immediately stand out as a high-value asset to the firm which brings endless advantages + opportunities. 

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Training your eye to notice these subtle improvements and knowing the fastest way to adjust is an extremely valuable skill to develop... one that typically takes YEARS to hone.

And that's only if your team members actually have this skill to share AND are willing to teach you. 

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After spending two intense Portfolio Party Days learning the art + science of presentation techniques from me, my students feel EMPOWERED, PROUD, and CONFIDENT.

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Feedback has been really wonderful - can't wait to host my next two Portfolio Party Days!