The Dadsigner Podcast

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, host Michael Smith speaks with Jonathan Carone, a website and logo designer, and the creator of the podcast 'Healthy Sports Parents.' They discuss Jonathan's journey into design, the challenges of parenting in the context of youth sports, and the balance between work and family life. Jonathan shares insights on coaching his children, the evolution of his d...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, host Michael Smith speaks with Theron Ragoonanan, a designer based in Greece, about his journey into design, the challenges of balancing work and parenting, and his unique approach to graphic design using After Effects. Theron shares insights on his current projects, including a pro bono brand identity for a leadership event in Trinidad and Tobago, and dis...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, host Michael Smith interviews Chris Michel, a UX designer and artist known for his unique online persona 'Hateful Crawdad.' Chris shares his journey from a childhood filled with creativity to his professional career in UX design, discussing his mural projects, the challenges of balancing art and work, and his passion for teaching through his YouTube channe...

In this episode of the Dadsigner Podcast, host Michael Smith speaks with Heinrich Ferreira, a South African designer who has transitioned from working in a college setting to freelancing. They discuss Heinrich's journey in design, his experiences as a father of four, and the challenges and joys of balancing work and family life. Heinrich shares insights on the importance of fostering individual re...

In this episode of the Dadsigner Podcast, host Michael Smith welcomes Jesse Goldman, a designer and comedian, to discuss his unique career journey that blends creativity with humor. They explore Jesse's transition from the entertainment industry to tech, the challenges of parenting while pursuing creative projects, and the evolving landscape of comedy in the digital age. Jesse shares insights on b...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, host Michael Smith interviews graphic designer Jeremy Slagle, who shares insights about his journey in the design industry, the dynamics of running a family business, and the importance of fostering creativity in his children. Jeremy discusses his experiences working with major brands like Major League Soccer and Target, and the founding of the Created Con...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, host Michael Smith interviews fine artist Adam Trest, who shares his journey from being a classically trained portrait painter to a multifaceted designer. Adam discusses the importance of diversifying income streams through product design, the challenges of balancing family life with a creative career, and the significance of accessibility in art. He also...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, host Michael Smith interviews animator CJ Mendez, who shares his journey from graphic design to animation, the founding of his studio Noble Creative Collective , and the balance between family life and running a business. CJ discusses the creative process in animation, the importance of transitions, and how he involves his children in creative projects. He...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, host Michael Smith speaks with David Walker, a designer who shares his journey from marketing to establishing his own design business. David discusses his unique vintage-inspired design style, the importance of networking, and his experiences working with clients. He also opens up about the challenges of fatherhood, including navigating postpartum depressi...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, Alex Holt, the creative director and owner of CRTR Studio joins me. We discuss Alex's journey from a full-time job to launching his own brand design studio, the challenges of parenting, and the dynamics of neighborhood life. Alex shares insights into his creative process, the importance of brand stewardship, and highlights a successful project that showcas...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, Felipe Herrera, a seasoned designer and entrepreneur from Colombia, joins as the guest. Felipe shares his journey from studying advertising design in the U.S. to founding his own design agency, Tengo Ideas . He discusses the importance of resource-based action in design, his experiences in the digital transformation of the industry, and how he applies desi...

In this episode of the Dadsigner Podcast, Michael talks with guests, Matt Hoffman, a freelance designer and homesteader. They discuss Matt's background, his journey into design, and the challenges of balancing work and family life. Matt shares insights into his creative projects, including Frankie Brand co, a tribute to his late grandfather, and how he nurtures creativity in his children. The conv...

In this episode of the Dadsigner podcast, I speak with Brad Hansen, a creative director and freelance illustrator. We discuss Brad's experiences as a girl dad, his journey into the world of E-Ink devices for illustration, and the balance he maintains between his full-time job and creative pursuits. The conversation also delves into the complexities of design skills and the importance of mastering...

In this episode I sit down with Jeremy Mitchell, most well know (to me) for Mitchell Bat Company. Our former guest Scott Fuller made the intro and I was excited to talk all things bats, family, and design. Jeremy and his family live in Nashville, TN. He’s been a full-time designer and creative director and now focuses a majority of his attention on the bat company. In the episode we talk about the...

Ian Paget is a UK based designer and single-dad to one daughter. He specializes in logo and brand identity design and works with inspiring entrepreneurs and businesses looking to take their brand identity to the next level. He’s published a book called Make A Living Designing Logos that you can purchase here . Ian opens up about pivoting his career to be able to spend more time with his daughter,...

Todd is the father to a little boy and a self-taught graphic designer. He lives in North Carolina with his wife. Throughout this episode you’ll hear Todd’s passion and energy for life. He’s got a go-getter attitude with the softest heart. Todd shares his journey to design and some of the tradeoff’s they’ve made as a family to focus more time and attention on their son. Todd’s work can be see at ww...

I got to sit down with Alxndr Jones, or maybe he’s better known as “A Vintage Thought”. Either way his rough line illustration style is just about as rad as his desire to love and parent his daughter well. We get into what it’s like to share custody of children, how Alxndr developed his style, and the journey of career and parenting he’s on. You can find his work at avintagethought.com or most pla...

Anderson is a sneaker designer, graphic artist, and an all around great guy. He hails from New York where he lives with his wife and daughter. In the episode we talk about how he got his start in the sneaker world and about the numerous places that has lead him. We also dive into Anderson’s YouTube channel and chat about what it takes to be great on that platform. To see Anderson’s work just Googl...

Ced is a freelance web + product designer who got his start in the design world with the NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is the father of one son and shifted his career aspirations to focus on family more in the last 8 years. In the episode we talk about Ced’s children’s book A World without Mothers. You can purchase the book here: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-world-without-mothers/i...

Caleb White is a father to two boys. One his biological son, the other is his partner’s biological son. He opens up about their blended family and how it works alongside their business. He and his partner make up Dreamlit Creative a branding and photography company that helps businesses tell their story. Listen to the episode to hear about Caleb’s journey and intentionality as a father. Find him o...

Aaron Brown joins to talk about the bobs and weaves of finding his way into his design career. His work and connections along the way have lead him to where he is today. Father to three and a big basketball fan are some of his superlatives. Listen to the full conversation to get a glimpse into what it's like to work for a pro basketball team. You can find Aaron online at @aaronavenue55th or at aar...

In today’s episode I speak with Alex Dartt from Toledo, Ohio. He’s a freelance brand and marketing design and dad. We chat quite a bit about Minor League baseball after Alex kicked off his career with the Toledo Mud Hens. During this conversation the podcast Baseball by Design is mentioned. You can find their show here . To follow Alex online you can visit his website: alexdartt.com or on most soc...

Karl McCarthy is an identity designer and dad to two boys hailing from Northeast England. His distinct, bold, and playful style is extremely eye catching. In this episode we dive into character design, sketching, and inspiration in unexpected places while spending time with his boys. Karl’s work can be found online at karlmccarthydesign.co.uk or he’s @karlmccarthydesign on Instagram and threads. T...

Jared is a father to three kids and art director living in Kansas City. In this episode we dive into his work on some leather good branding and illustrating kids books. But most importantly we talk about how doing hard things is a great example for our kids. There’s a moment in the episode where Jared talks about some application videos he created to earn a spot on the Fjallraven polar expedition....

Mike Jones is one of the creators of the Creative South conference as well as a dad to 4 kids and a great brand designer. In this conversation we dive into Mike’s work and parenting. Talking about things like having grown kids, what it’s like to trade ownership for branding, and how Creative South came to be. If you’d like to attend Creative South, I’ll be there and tickets are on sale now: creati...