My Interview with: Denise Faddis
Profile: Denise Faddis supports purpose-driven creatives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners in bringing their ideas to life and achieving their goals—without sacrificing their sanity or wellbeing in the process. As a creative professional with over 20 years of experience in design, advertising, and brand, Denise has worked as an Art Director, Project Manager, Creative Recruiter, Account Manager, Creative Operations Consultant, and most recently, a Global Design Program Manager. Her career has spanned global brands such as HelloFresh, Udemy, and Xapo, as well as recruiting talent for Nike, adidas, Whole Foods, etc., and many creative agencies throughout Portland and Austin.
We recently connected virtually and she shared with me a beautiful story about her journey of faith and divine guidance. We recently got connected through GUIDED, a global network for faith-forward creatives designed to spotlight their unique gifts and help connect, collaborate, and grow alongside other Spirit-led entrepreneurs. If this sounds like you, join for free and get access to community events and free resources here to build God-given visions together!
Your Business Inspiration
Who inspired you, to start your business and why? Did you always feel like creative consulting was your path?
Both of my parents played a significant role in encouraging me to pursue my dreams, so I’d say ultimately they are who inspired me to build the businesses I have over the years. I’m forever grateful for how much they supported my wild ideas and insatiable curiosity, and consistently offered a core foundation of practical knowledge and discernment to help round me out. They also exemplified integrity in my eyes.
As early as I can remember, I have been imaginative and had an entrepreneurial spirit. At five years old, I’d paint rocks and sell them to neighbors, and by six, I was designing and selling handmade bookmarks and gift tags to my mom’s bowling league members, setting up a tiny little shop right there in the bowling alley whenever I could. I fell in love with creating artistic and useful items that brought a little joy to people’s lives, and earning some money in the process. Those humble beginnings set the tone for a lifetime of exploring those same principles in an array of creative endeavors.
When it comes to what I offer now, Creative Consulting, I didn’t always know that would be my path; instead, it was a natural evolution of my career. To truly be an effective consultant, I believe you have to spend some time in the ring, so to speak. Not to go overboard on the metaphor, but if you’ve been up against the ropes a few times, tasted both victory and defeat, and know firsthand the courage involved, your ability to help others is rooted in expertise and understanding that only comes from real-life experience.
Good Business Ideas
Do you think that good business ideas happen by chance, being at the right time at the right place? Or do you believe in thorough planning or being guided in other ways?
At this stage in my life and career, I’d say that it depends on how you define good.
If your definition of good is lucrative and popular (or widely accepted), then you can follow a standard formula and experience some success. There will always be an audience for the expected, but if you’re looking to innovate and bring something new to the world, the path has yet to be paved and requires you to invest the time into exploring your most heartfelt and honest definition of success. A good business idea can end up being a bad choice if you’re not aligned with what you have built.
For example, if you get caught up in letting the algorithm dictate your content based on what goes viral or gets the most likes, it’s easy to lose your way and slowly compromise your creative vision and values for meeting metrics.
Ultimately, no matter how you come up with the business idea, make sure that you’re firmly rooted in a truthful foundation. Why do you want to build your business? Who do you want to serve, and how do you want to live while running your business? Clearly outlining these points will help you know the difference between being in the right place at the right time and being swayed from your original intent. The most beneficial planning is outlining those internal metrics so that the external metrics feel right when you reach them.
How do you know what path is right for you?
My body has always been a truthful messenger. I can tell the difference between excited butterflies and a warning signal—unfortunately, I’ve not always listened. There have been times I let my mind interfere and override that truth for worldly validation, or sometimes blur the lines so much I couldn’t tell the difference anymore. In our world full of distractions, it has become more critical than ever to turn off the noise so we can connect with our internal signals. When you clear away the distractions, what matters most to you is revealed.
You have worked with some amazing brands before, Nike, Adidas to name a few. Now you are supporting entrepreneurs.
Do you ever miss the ‘exciting brand world’?
I’ve been blessed to have some exciting opportunities in my career, including working with a handful of well-known brands, but the heartbeat of my career has always been about the people I’ve been able to work with and support.
No matter my role, the core of my contributions revolved around championing creatives, meaningful work, respectful relationship building, and helping build collaborative working environments.
With roles in creative recruiting (staffing for brands such as Nike and adidas and creative agencies) and design program management for a global digital agency, I was able to interview and get to know hundreds of incredibly talented humans, as well as collaborate with inspiring managers and help them build their team one real relationship at a time.
As much as I respect the hard work that goes into becoming an established and recognized brand, I’ve tried not to let the glitz of it all pull me away from focusing on the humans behind the brand. I won’t pretend that it’s not supportive to have some big brands on your resume, but more than that, the opportunity to learn and work with exceptional teams was the real gift.
Although I don’t specifically miss that world, I’ll always cherish the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with from each of the positions I’ve held over the years. Now, through my own business, supporting entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders allows me to continue to work with inspiring and talented people, often coming out of working for big brands, and help them pioneer the future of business. What’s more exciting than that?
You’re not actively engaging in social – why?
Secondly, how do you grow your business in times when people think social is ‘essential’?
A few questions back, I explored the idea of clearing out distractions to genuinely align with what matters most to us, and that is the main reason I no longer engage in social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook.
I don’t know what the future holds, but as of now, the space and ease that it’s created in my life is too delicious to consider going back. And without a doubt, it cleared out a mess of information that was pulling me away from my own thoughts, planting unhelpful or useless data, and distracting me from the presence of my real life—and I was probably only on Instagram an hour or so a day (however there were times when I was utilizing it more for my business, back then I’d be on it for hours perfecting a post).
Honestly, it was shocking for both my husband and me (we removed them at the same time) to notice how freeing it was to let it go. I deleted my Facebook account a couple of years back, and I’ve never had TikTok. So if it could be this beneficial to my life, I imagine it would be life-changing for those who feel somewhat addicted. There are times I miss seeing photos of family and friends, but I’ve had the chance to see who stays in touch in real life and deepen the connections with those who do.
I never had a large business following, so deciding to close my account was easier than if I had a dedicated and aligned audience. I adore no longer feeling attached to those apps, but it’s a very personal choice. The choice to close them was just a natural progression for me and was a way for me to honor what feels good and supportive to my soul. Don’t get me wrong, I still have distractions, but this has been a nourishing step to connect me further with my truth, with God, and with what matters most to me.
As far as growing my business, unexpectedly, my business has grown more since I’ve removed them. I know that removing them made me feel more congruent, something I think is essential to living a fruitful life. By taking action to honor my truth, rather than forcing myself to do something I thought I “should” do, I’ve had the energy, time, and confidence to explore alternative ways of connecting with people that feel more honest and good to me. Of course, when something feels aligned, we are more likely to have a successful result, so it shouldn’t have surprised me. I’ve made more real-life connections by volunteering for a local non-profit and helping job seekers practice interviews, I’ve started working with an incredible organization called Guided as their Community Creative Refiner, leading Member Features and Editorials, and I’ve connected with dynamic entrepreneurs like you, joining forces for thoughtful collaborations. It truly feels like a gift that I’m incredibly grateful for. I also love the fact that most of my clients find me through a referral, a random article, or a synchronistic happenstance. I’m here when they’re ready rather than endlessly seeking them out on social. It feels good to me to operate my business in this old-school way. I don’t enjoy wasting my time on socials or getting automated AI marketing emails, so why would I expect my aligned customers to? I’m cool with having a handful of exceptional clients that I can dedicate myself fully to supporting.
Who do you help and how?
What do you think was the main key to your success so far?
Absolutely—I work with capable, creative, driven, independent, and purpose-led individuals who are now ready to receive tangible support.
At first glance, that might sound like a broad-brush or even a muddled idea of my target audience. However, it’s anything but generalized. The simplicity of it makes it both clear and exclusive. As most of us have learned, simple is often the most demanding but also the most truthful, direct, and honest.
If you are accustomed to doing it all yourself, receiving support can be the most challenging AND impactful step you can take. High achievers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and industrious creatives know how to get things done; they don’t stand on the sidelines and watch others build their dreams. Unfortunately, they can plateau because of their aversion to trusting and receiving support. I know, because I’m wired the same way. You like your freedom. You resist formulas. You don’t want to be told what to do. You can’t help but cringe when you witness others letting everyone else do it for them.
My clients find me when they have met their edge, and their personal and professional evolution is inviting them to open themselves up to the possibility of genuine support. They want to hire someone who can also pull their weight, bring experience and know-how to the table, offer fresh perspectives, help them identify their strengths, provide honest feedback, invest in their success, and believe in their vision.
My clients aren’t looking for a way around the work; they are looking for a collaboration that helps them not only get the work done but also brings out the best in themselves in the process.
My Creative Refinement sessions help my clients gain insight, clarity, confidence, and direction, enabling them to differentiate their offerings and forge a strong foundation for meaningful success. When they’re ready to go to the next level, they can benefit from my hands-on consulting offerings dedicated to strategy and structure, creative direction, visibility and voice, and wellness and performance. Collaborations can range from mock job interviews to intricate planning of employee hiring and training strategies for your growing team. It’s incredible what real-life practice and collaboration can do for our confidence and creative vision. When two high-achievers collaborate, the potential is unmatched. “Iron sharpens iron,” Proverbs 27:17
Visually, my work can be summed up by this simple symbolic storyboard—as we all know, we live in a digital world. Someone knocks on my door, I welcome them with a warm smile, they say something along the lines of “Hey girl, I could use some help. I have some great ideas, but I’d like to take them to the next level. I’d love your input and some help brainstorming. And if we have time, can we sit down and tackle some of this work together so I can make some significant headway?” I welcome them in, offer them some tea and maybe a homemade treat, and say, “Absolutely, I respect your approach and I’d love to help however I can. Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable and let’s see what we can do”. What follows is unique to each client, but the common denominator remains the same—something comes to life in them through the collaboration that didn’t exist before.
What’s your main key to your success so far?
Hands down, the grace of God. I’ve tried to do the best with that grace. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fall incredibly short. Through it all, I genuinely do my very best and care about the people I get to serve. I’m also curious and I’m not afraid to fail (good thing!), that combination has allowed me to have a well-rounded career and life, and bring it all to the table in the ways I support my clients. That curiosity has also led me down the wrong path a time or two, but thankfully, I feel that I’m getting more aligned than ever before.
Your top 3 tips when starting out in business today
What do you think someone starting out with their business now needs to pay attention to, what would you recommend?
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but here are a few things I’ve learned along the way that I hope can help.
- Be cool. Relationships are not a thing of the past. Take the time to respond thoughtfully, be courteous, and show up authentically. Being human is the new advanced tech.
- Get really clear on who you want to be in the world, not the title you want, the business you want to build, or the creative project you want to bring to life. Those things will come and go and change throughout your life. You’ll get jobs, get promotions, and you’ll get laid off. You’ll have big wins and you’ll have big losses. If the external dictates your worth, those seasons will define you. Make sure you define your worth from within and then enjoy the ride.
- Think about the long game. Try not to get too distracted by the seemingly productive projects that pull you away from the work that actually needs to get done. Big ideas require steady commitment and enduring the tedious and unsexy tasks. Neither innovation nor integrity is easy to come by, and anything worth its salt will polarize. Popular is easy, schemes are fast, and mainstream responds to manipulative marketing. If you’re trying to create something new in the world, you’re going to have to bring a new approach and not get frustrated when it takes more time.
What was the most difficult time for you so far, how did you overcome it?
My most difficult seasons often came from aspects of my life where I was living incongruently. This incongruence can come from knowing we are not honoring our truth or simply not knowing what our truth is, creating a lack of momentum and disappointing results, making us incredibly frustrated in the process.
Entrepreneurship will shine a light on everywhere you’re incongruent.
The thing is, if you’re going to be a business owner and you have a firmly rooted value system, you can no longer turn the other cheek and convince yourself that small compromises with your integrity are not eating away at your inner harmony. When we work for a larger corporation, we often justify, and perhaps rightly so, that we aren’t the decision maker.
Quality leadership requires inner congruency. Whether your purpose is to follow your dreams of entrepreneurship, share your art, or pursue your desired profession, inner congruency rooted in something real will help align you with the right people and projects, but it’s often anything but overnight. Authentic leaders confidently inspire by knowing who they are and what they stand for, and clearly defining what they won’t stand for. This type of leadership offers consistent, trustworthy, and focused action that leads to genuine success. The kind of success that doesn’t pull you away from the things you care about most, strip away at your soul, burn out your body, or encourage an endless loop of wanting more. Congruent success feels like contentment.
How do you motivate yourself?
How do you maintain your energy level? What gives you energy?
I’m an optimist, and I have hope in humanity. Joy, beauty, creativity, love, kindness, laughter—those innate qualities of wonder we had as children make me feel lit up and excited about a new day. I love working with good people who feel called to create and share what they are passionate about. Their energy lights me up, and I feel compelled to help them bring it to life.
I was also born to problem solve, and I have finally learned to value and accept that fact. My brain is wired to see both problems and solutions. I was raised to ask questions, to find holes in ideas, to look under, above, around, and beneath rather than only focus on what’s directly in front of me. That ability has shaped my creativity and is what has differentiated me throughout my career.
I choose to work with clients who desire this type of support. I tried being a coach and realized that’s not the best fit for my natural gifts. Coaches are encouraged to listen quietly and ask questions that help you arrive at your own solutions during that process. When working as a wellness coach, I think that’s a great approach, as wellness is so very personal and unique, and listening in is an integral part of the process. That’s also true for creativity, but it’s not the whole story. Collaboration, brainstorming, and dissent are key ingredients to leveling up your gifts and offerings. I believe that respectful exploration that allows for differing perspectives and ideas builds trust in relationships and provides a broader opportunity for creative solutions. When there is no trust in collaboration, problems remain hidden, making it impossible to find solutions. Name one person you trust who never disagrees with you? It requires confidence to explore from different vantage points.
Being secure in yourself and the service you bring to the world allows you to open yourself up to respectful dissent and brainstorming that can take your business to the next level. It’s easy to find people who are agreeable not to make waves, but this leaves a pretty stale pond. Managers and business owners who are open to taking a peek under the hood increase their innovation and their bottom line. Now, I blend aspects of coaching, consulting, and grounded guidance into my offerings. Coaching that asks powerful, presence-led questions and helps my clients uncover their answers. Consulting that brings in practical proven tools and frameworks, fresh ideas, introductions, creative problem solving and brainstorming options, opportunities to identify strengths, make a plan, and discover what might be tripping you up. And through it all, I offer warm, steady support rooted in lived experience.
Additionally, when it comes to inspiration, learning new skills and cultivating a well-rounded life fuel creativity in business. I’ve been teaching myself to sew through YouTube tutorials (shoutout to all the talented and generous creators out there!), and it’s been incredibly rewarding in many ways. Not only has it added depth and dimension to my life, but it has also expanded the way I approach problem-solving and creative thinking. I believe the ability to play, experiment, and embrace being a beginner again is essential for creative innovation. It’s humbling to try something new and to learn from those talented people lightyears ahead of you, and appreciate their hard-earned craft. There is a lot of energy and fun to be found in this type of approach to life and business.
How do you handle fear?
Are you sometimes afraid of certain things? How do you deal with that?
For sure. I’m not sure we can get through this human experience without being afraid now and again. I think there are fears that we can’t do much about, like losing people we love, etc. Those types of fears we have to trust we can courageously face when they come. But there are everyday fears that we can work on eliminating through practical steps, most importantly, real-life practice.
My dad instilled this approach in me as a child. I specifically remember the time in third grade when I couldn’t climb the rope in gym class, and the athletic kid identity I had clung to was humiliated. I told my dad, and he took me to Ace Hardware that weekend. Together, we built a rope in our garage. I practiced every day and became the fastest climber in my grade (or at least that’s how I remember it; I’m guessing I had average speed, but I no longer hung for dear life on the bottom, swinging and struggling to move up the rope).
This moment was so much bigger than learning to climb a rope; he taught me that I could cry about it and be embarrassed or take action and improve. And just as importantly, he taught me that having a little bit of support can go a long way (sadly, I didn’t fully grasp that lesson the way I should have for many years).
My dad didn’t climb the rope for me, he didn’t just sit with empathy and ask me how I felt about it, he didn’t force me to practice, or go to my school and tell them I shouldn’t have to climb the rope; instead, he knocked on my bedroom door the following Saturday morning and said “get dressed, let’s go.” He supported me in ways I couldn’t have supported myself. I couldn’t drive a car or purchase supplies, and I certainly didn’t know how to build a strong support from the garage ceiling, but he did. He lent me his ability and strength so I could find my own. I don’t think I could explain what I offer my clients any better.
What do you do when everything gets too much?
Have you once been at a very point where you didn’t know if you should continue on or not? Where everything just seemed too hard? What did you do?
I won’t go into details, as I’m not ready to, and the intricacies are vast, and truthfully, I risk being misunderstood by sharing bits and pieces here today, but I will proceed anyway in case it supports someone reading. I’ll say that yes, I have been through so many low points (finances, loss, career, health, relationships, etc.), and that’s what it took to finally humble me from thinking I could make it all happen or save myself, and instead gave myself over to the grace of God. In part, I had built my identity around my career and tied my worth to my work contributions. Ultimately, I finally surrendered. I stopped being deceived by the illusion that we create our own world, etc., and came to recognize that there is indeed a magnificent Creator, and He was ready to help me if I was ready to receive it. I suppose I was much like a strong-willed child who kept convincing myself I could do it on my own, as my loving Father watched over me until I exhausted every angle. Then He took me in His arms with my face full of tears, my belly full of frustration, a voice full of contrition, and a heart ready to listen and learn. I had always believed in God ever since I was a little girl, yet over time, various distractions and bad decisions pulled me off course. The seed was there, but I had let some weeds in that had slowly created confusion. My passion for finding truth and searching for answers and something to fill the hole in my heart kept me on a relentless path of seeking, deception, and self-improvement. With God’s patience and love, He stayed with me and waited for me to realize I had a Jesus-sized hole in my heart that my pain around religion kept me from discovering. Of course, once I finally allowed myself to meet Him, I realized his feelings about religion aligned with mine. After many attempts to find some long-lost secret that would stop the aching in my heart, His humbling process allowed me to drop the arrogance keeping me from His Word. My pursuits finally led me to the wisest and most impressive, courageous, and admirable teacher I’ve ever found: the way, the truth, and the life.
When I opened my heart to God’s love..
Additionally, when I admitted I truly needed others, I quickly discovered who I could count on and trust, who I respected, who checked in on me, whose actions aligned with their words, and who showed up when I had little to offer them in return. I never stopped loving anyone or wishing the best for them, but creating space revealed much-needed perspective and truth, and offered room to grow—this wilderness is anything but easy, but necessary. I had to learn how to ask for help and lean into support from my incredible husband and parents, learning to receive with profound truth and humility. I expanded my definition of success, worthiness, and value. The process has been anything but easy, and I’ll forever need the Lord by my side to have my back and keep me on the narrow path, but the peace that He has provided through my intimate relationship with Him has been the living water I’ve been searching for my whole life. I am anything but an expert or an example, rather a humbled human that would be remiss not to share the absolute truth of my healing. He did what all the other modalities or intellectual pursuits combined could never do; I finally tasted the truth, and the fruit is undeniable.
In no way am I trying to convince, persuade, or inform; in fact, a recent past version of me would be resistant to what I’ve shared here today; I share for those who have ears to hear. I am a child on this journey and an early student. All glory is His. He wrote this through me, so if it spoke to you, I’m sure he’d love for you to seek Him and to speak to you directly.
Finally, I’d like to add this, if you feel that things have just not been hitting for you lately, that you’re toiling away with no tangible results, if you’ve been laid off, if things are no longer working for you the way they once did, this might be a beautiful calling to something more, something filled with beauty and meaning like never before. I know it’s challenging, I know it’s painful, and I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have all the answers, but I do hope you’ll take that crude metal and let the fire help you turn it into gold.
How can people find you and contact you if they’d be interested in exploring a collaboration:
Those who feel aligned are welcome to reach out to me via my website at www.denisefaddis.com. The ways we can creatively collaborate are only limited by our imagination, so don’t hesitate to connect so we can explore the possibilities.
For 1:1 creative consulting sessions, I meet with my clients digitally, and I love that it allows me to have a global client base. I charge a reasonable and honest hourly rate so I can work with a range of people and types of companies, including established businesses, solopreneurs, and individuals.
My Creative Refiner Sessions are a great place to start. In this 90-minute session, we take any chaos in your mind and turn it into a clear, strategic plan designed to create real impact. Together, we’ll ensure your foundation is solid—aligned with your strengths, goals, and vision. We will also identify gaps, explore solutions to potential problems, and work to spot anything that might trip you up. After the session, you’ll receive a detailed follow-up that outlines your core foundation, key strengths, potential distractions, meaningful positioning opportunities, and tailored solutions for refinement—all mapped out with a clear timeline to guide your next steps.
For ongoing clients, I offer Clarity Sessions, ideal for tackling one challenge, like preparing for a big meeting, reviewing a pitch, or mapping your digital offer, as well as Executive Strategy Hours for high-stakes or strategic work—creative ops, scale and hiring support, business launches, etc.
Also, if you want to stay in touch, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. Gold Mine on Substack. It’s a twice-monthly mine of inspiration focused on treasuring the gold in this human experience. No AI marketing rhetoric, instead you’ll get a joyful mood board of latest inspiration, anything from a moving poem that I’ve come across, to a new favorite coconut curry, a thoughtful color story, my latest sewing or jewelry project, or design inspiration (fashion, interior, etc.). It’s raw and human and meant to keep us all on our creative toes. You can sign up to receive Gold Mine at denisefaddis.com.
