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Hi friend, I’m so excited (and a little nervous) to finally launch the Beyond Design podcast. This has lived in my heart and head for years… in my notebooks, in my morning pages, in WhatsApps with other creatives, and in those “I wish someone had told me this earlier” messages that you’ve sent me over the years. Sharing From Agency Life to Freelance Freedom: My Journey Beyond Design.

I’ve been in the design industry for a while now—about 25 years, give or take. And in this very first episode of BEYOND Design, I wanted to take you all the way back to the beginning. Not the polished Instagram version… but the real one.

Where it started: Fast-paced and full-on

I studied design in Cape Town and started working there, but I missed home. I missed my people. So I came back to Namibia and landed a job at an international ad agency.

I loved it.

The pace. The learning. The people.

Back then, Adobe Illustrator had just launched—and we were still using Freehand and QuarkXPress (anyone remember those?).

But here’s what changed: I met my now-husband.

And everything shifted.

Suddenly, working late nights and weekends didn’t feel as easy or exciting anymore. Life was asking something else from me.

There’s one moment I’ll never forget:

He wanted to propose on our six-month anniversary. He planned a trip. But I couldn’t get leave. I forgot the date. And we left a day later.

When he told me, I felt something snap.

Why am I asking permission to live the important parts of my life?

That was the beginning of the end of agency life for me.

Starting over—with no roadmap

I didn’t leave right away. I started slow.

I picked up the old-school phone book (yep, that thick yellow one). I looked for any business that might need design. Called. Emailed. Told everyone I knew:

“If you need a logo, a brochure, a poster… I’m here.”

I used my savings to buy my first Mac laptop.

No fancy portfolio. No sleek website.

Just tiny brave steps.

After about eight months of this—doing freelance work after hours, on weekends, in between agency deadlines—I landed one retainer client.

It just covered the basics. Not profit. Not luxury.

But enough to take the leap.

That was the beginning of Kunshuis.

Not with a bang. With small, scrappy, faith-filled steps.

What no one told me about being a designer

When I started, I thought being a designer meant making things look beautiful.

But I quickly learned…

Design is only 20% of what we actually do.

The other 80%?

It’s business. It’s boundaries. It’s people.

It’s mindset. Cashflow. Confidence.

It’s feedback, and self-doubt, and navigating the silence between projects.

And no one prepared me for that.

Why I started this podcast

BEYOND Design is the space I wish I had back then.

A space for the emotional side of freelancing.

The unspoken parts.

The real-life, real-feelings stuff that doesn’t fit into your neat little client folder.

We’ll talk about:

• Pricing your work without panic
• Clients who ghost (and how to bounce back)
• Building rhythms instead of chasing balance
• Burnout, faith, motherhood, mental health
• Showing up when you’re doubting your worth
• Tools to help (like my Playbook Planner and Desk)
• The deep creative stuff that never shows up on Instagram

And all of it from this place of honesty, heart, and “you’re not alone in this.”

Whether you’re a freelancer, student, agency designer, or still figuring it all out…

You belong here.

Design isn’t just about programs. It’s about how you see the world.

Being a designer is more than knowing Adobe or Canva.

It’s about taking someone’s messy thoughts and turning them into something meaningful.

It’s about problem-solving.

It’s about the courage to create something new.

That’s powerful.

That’s what I want to remind you of.

Two tools that changed everything for me

I built two tools to support you as you build your own freelance life:

✨ The Playbook Planner

My physical planner for creatives. It helps you plan, journal, reflect, keep track of clients, meetings, and your own goals—without feeling boxed in.

💻 The Playbook Desk

A Notion-based business hub for freelancers. Everything I’ve learned in 25+ years… in one digital space. Invoices, client hubs, onboarding scripts, project notes, pricing strategies—done.

If you’re feeling tired, uninspired, or unsure where to go next—

I see you.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.

You don’t have to be perfect to belong here.

You just need to be you.

Messy, real, trying again.

That’s enough.

That’s powerful.

Thanks for listening (or reading).

The next episode is waiting for you. But for now—

Breathe.

Come back to your why.

Design your life, wherever you are.

With love,

Nelett