Meet Lisa Holst

We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Holst recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I was fortunate to have loving and supportive parents that cheered me on early in life. The encouragement and security they provided me resulted in a good self-esteem and a solid foundation. Especially true in an industry that is open to anyone’s opinion and critique.

Putting myself in new situations and taking risks has continuously developed my confidence over the years. I have moved continents three times in my life; the first and second time to pursue studies abroad, and the third time I followed love. The situations you encounter when moving to a new country, with a different language and even weather pushes you to rise to the occasion. You become adaptable as many things don’t work out the way you imagine. You learn who to trust and to listen to your gut feeling, but mainly you learn to depend on yourself. The next time you do it will be so much easier!

My self-esteem has been tested throughout the years. Attending design school and later entering the working force definitely comes with feelings of imposter syndrome. You constantly wonder if you are good enough. But being kind to yourself and having fun helps to overcome that. Learn to not take feedback personally and try your best. If you get the chance to try your hands on something new, do it! The growth that comes with it is worth it.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I live in the Canadian Rockies where I work with small town entrepreneurs in both the service and product industry, providing them with branding.

My company is called My Friend Pike and I love to guide and elevate local businesses. From start-up through growth or already established companies. by providing unique, flexible branding that stands out and connects to the target audience.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

If I had to list three qualities that were the most impactful in my professional life so far it would be taking risk, knowing your self-worth and not being scared of continuously learning.

Risk-taking builds a resilience and adaptability that translates into all aspects of your life. Take that risk, step outside of your comfort zone, and you’ll find yourself 10 times stronger after it. Having done it once makes it easier to do again.

Knowing what you bring to the table and what suits you best is important to get where you want. You might be presented with work opportunities that on paper look great, but if it doesn’t offer what you need to grow, passing on it might be the best option. In the Creative field, there is a lot of hype around which agencies and studios are at the top of the game, and sure, having their name on your resume will be beneficial, but being in the right place will make you grow faster. It depends on where you want to go. For me it was really beneficial working in a small design studio that challenged me to step into many roles outside of being a graphic designer. I got to work as an illustrator, art director, handling big clients, animation etc. In a big studio a young designer would rarely be meeting directly with clients but that was an invaluable lesson later when I started my own studio.

Continuously learning has been a must for the growth of my own business. As I mentioned above, I’m no stranger to transitioning in-between roles, and working in a small town forces me to constantly update my skills and offering. Another way to grow is to collaborate with individuals that have a similar mindset to add new areas of expertise.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Creative work is famously stress sensitive and deadlines can be stifling. My best tip is to step away from your desk – trying to force it when you are stressed rarely works. Go for a walk, bake a cake, do something that reduces your stress levels. I’m not promoting procrastination but just give yourself a break. Then get back to work but start on another project, preferably
one that is in a fun, flowy phase. Drink a coffee, listen to music, make it enjoyable.

I do also suggest giving yourself enough time for the idea generation stage. If you know it will take you 20+, don’t agree to a client who wants to rush it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.myfriendpike.com
• Instagram: my_friend_pike

Image Credits

Photos by Jamie Inman Photo