Meet Dauss Miller

We recently connected with Dauss Miller and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dauss, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I’ve been the only one in the room for most of my life…the kid with tattoos from small-town Indiana sitting across from global brands, the darkest skinned artist in a room full of executives, the visionary in a room full of analysts, the one who saw story before strategy. At first, that used to feel like a gap I had to close. Eventually, I realized it was the reason I was invited in.

When you’re the only one, you learn to read a room differently. You catch what’s unspoken… tone, tempo, tension. You learn to bridge worlds that don’t usually meet: creativity and commerce, spirit and strategy, art and algorithm. That skill is what’s building Planet Ü, a creative agency for founders and brands who don’t fit molds because they’re too busy making movements.

Now, when I’m the only one in the room, I don’t shrink or translate myself. I design the conversation. I help others see that that “thing” that sets them apart is already what makes the brand.

Being the only one in the room taught me emotional fluency…the ability to stay grounded, curious, and effective no matter who’s across the table. My difference became my data. It helped me read the room faster, build trust more deeply, and create work that doesn’t only impress people, but moves them.

Turns out, being “the only one” was just the training ground for helping others see they were never alone in the first place.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m the co-founder of Planet Ü, alongside my amazing wife, Tamara. Planet Ü is a creative agency for founders, visionaries, and brands with presence. It’s where identity and influence meet, where story becomes a living, breathing ecosystem.

Planet Ü was born from an obsession with transformation. I’ve always been fascinated by how one person’s story, told clearly and beautifully, can move an entire audience. That curiosity turned into a creative practice that helps founders express the full frequency of who they are, across timelines, so their message carries power and truth in every medium.

What’s most alive right now is The Icon Method™, a twelve-week brand experience that guides entrepreneurs through creative transformation…it’s strategy, cinematic photo and video, and a launch system that amplifies visibility and position. After that comes Icon Circle™, a yearlong retainer that continues the evolution with content creation, PR, and brand expansion.

Planet Ü is more than an agency. It’s a space where presence has gravity and storytelling becomes legacy.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The first is curiosity. Real curiosity, not the kind that collects trivia, but the kind that questions everything you think you know. It’s what keeps your ideas alive and your vision adaptable. The moment you stop leading with being vulnerably curious, your work stops evolving.

The second is emotional fluency. Business is human. Every conversation, every collaboration, every conflict, it’s all emotional data. Learning to read people, energy, and timing is what turns creative chaos into momentum you can feel.

The third is creative resilience. You’re going to build things that don’t work before you build things that do. The ability to stay playful while everything feels uncertain is what keeps founders in orbit long enough for gravity to kick in.

For anyone early in the journey…protect your wonder, learn to listen beneath words, and remember that consistency is a creative act. The work that actually changes your life usually starts as a bold experiment.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I’m a rule breaker and would love to answer all of the questions that impacted me in visioning the answer…

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities, or knowledge you needed to be successful?

Tamara, my wife and co-founder of Planet Ü, has been both mirror and muse in this epic journey. She’s the one who reflects what I can’t always see, both my brilliance and my blind spots. Building a life and an umbrella of companies together has refined my leadership more than any book or mentor. She has a way of turning every challenge into a mirror, and somehow, I always come out seeing more clearly. She’s the quiet architect behind much of my growth…the one expanding the vision while I’m busy building it. Her intuition sharpens my strategy, and our creative tension keeps Planet Ü honest…and colorful.

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If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I’d spend it creating experiences that outlive me. I’d document my family’s story, mentor emerging founders, fast track developement of Planet Ü Kids, and design projects that stretch culture forward. I’d build out Planet Ü’s global ecosystem, education, storytelling, and creative empowerment for the next generation…and still take time for backyard fires, travel and road trips, and laughter with my kids. I’d try again to convince my son Sylven to move states and come live with me…and I’d continue to pour my energy into legacy, but in a way that still leaves room for play. If I had ten years left, I’d live them like they were a conversation with eternity.

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Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in? Why?

I believe in precision, and I respect balance, but I build around strength. Strengths are where your signal lives. Weaknesses aren’t flaws, they’re indicators of what doesn’t belong in your orbit. When you double down on what you do best, you attract collaborators who complete the picture. I used to try to handle every detail myself. What changed everything was realizing how much momentum builds when you create alongside people who amplify your mission.
The moment I built teams around my genius instead of away from it, everything started to move with more ease.

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Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

An ideal client is someone who already knows they’re here to do far more than just build a successful company. They’ve tasted success but want more meaning, and to create a bigger ripple. They’re creative, self-aware, and unafraid of depth. They see storytelling as the compass that guides their brand. My favorite clients come ready to be seen fully, to explore the edges of their identity, and to create from that place. The best partnerships at Planet Ü feel like collaboration with destiny…a mix of strategy, artistry, and alignment that leaves both of us changed by the work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.daussmiller.com
• Instagram: @daussmiller @blastoffwithplanetu
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daussmiller

Image Credits

Jenna Phillips Ballard, Isabel Friend, Jenna Phillips Ballard, Mackenzie Roth, Cody Sanchez, Preston Smiles, Sean Clayton, Dov and Nicole, and Kevin Crenshaw