”What the Helvetica?” is an engaging series of conversations between Michael Janda and guest entrepreneurs, delving into the realities of building a business. What happens behind the curtain? What crucial insights remain unspoken? It’s not all sunshine and roses; ”What the Helvetica?” dives deep to unveil the raw truths of entrepreneurship—good, bad, and ugly—and listeners may learn a thing or two along the way.
What the Helvetica?
Claim This Podcastby Michael Janda
5.0(8 reviews)
30 episodes
Updated Weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
32
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality20
Social97
YouTube0
Engagement60
Podcast Overview
”What the Helvetica?” is an engaging series of conversations between Michael Janda and guest entrepreneurs, delving into the realities of building a business. What happens behind the curtain? What crucial insights remain unspoken? It’s not all sunshine and roses; ”What the Helvetica?” dives deep to unveil the raw truths of entrepreneurship—good, bad, and ugly—and listeners may learn a thing or two along the way.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/27/2024
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32
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality20
Social97
YouTube0
Engagement60
5
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1
Good Performance
13
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excellent
Episode Length
1h 11m
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good
Show Experience
24 episodes over 1.3 years
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Recent Episodes
May 4, 2026
Ep. 29: How Creative Leaders Sell Big Ideas w/ Danielle Giroux
Making Ideas Real with Danielle Giroux In this episode, Michael Janda sits down with Danielle Giroux, Senior Director, Brand & Creative at Clio, to unpack what it really takes to move ideas from “interesting thought” to actual business impact. Danielle shares her path from walking into a local design studio at 13 with a faux-leather portfolio, to building a creative career across agency, tech, brand leadership, AI adoption, and now her upcoming platform and book, Making an Idea Real. This conversation goes deep into the messy middle of creative work: selling ideas, building alignment, navigating stakeholders, using AI responsibly, knowing when to pivot, and learning that the real work is rarely the polished final output. It is the trust, clarity, resistance, decision-making, and leadership required to get the idea across the finish line. Big Ideas from the Episode 1. The portfolio gets you noticed. Relationships move your career.Danielle’s early story shows how ambition, trust, and human connection can open doors long before the work is perfect. 2. Awards matter—but business impact matters more.Danielle reflects on the difference between agency award culture and in-house creative leadership, where the real question becomes: did the work move the needle? 3. AI is not just a production tool. It is an alignment tool.Danielle shares how AI can help translate ideas for different stakeholders—CMOs, CFOs, sales leaders, clients, and internal teams. 4. The 1% idea is not enough.The brilliant idea is only the beginning. The other 99% is navigating people, resistance, timing, belief, trust, and execution. 5. Being “real” is becoming a creative advantage.In a world of AI-generated polish, the human layer—your voice, your presence, your perspective, your imperfections—matters more than ever. Memorable Quotes “Great ideas don’t fail. They fade.” “The other 99% is everything it takes to make it real.” “The win can look different on different days.” “You have to know when to pivot before it’s too late.” “Being real means showing more of yourself than you might be comfortable showing.” Guest Links: Danielle Giroux Website: daniellegiroux.com About Danielle: daniellegiroux.com/about-1 Making an Idea Real: daniellegiroux.com/making-an-idea-real Blog: daniellegiroux.com/blog-making-an-idea-real Instagram: instagram.com/DANIELLE+GIROUX LinkedIn: Danielle Giroux on LinkedIn Clio profile via The Org: Danielle Giroux at Clio DAM Consultation: Danielle’s DAM Consulting Page Superside SHIFT Summit: Danielle at Superside SHIFT OnBrand Speaker Profile: Danielle Giroux on OnBrand Bynder Customer Story with Clio: Bynder: Clio + Danielle Giroux
May 1, 2026
Ep. 28: A.I. vs. Creatives: The Real Problem w/ Stef Hamerlinck
Brand Mascots, AI, and the Future of Creative Work with Stef Hamerlinck In this episode, Michael Janda talks with Belgian designer, brand strategist, and mascot-obsessed creative Stef Hamerlinck about the strange, exciting, and controversial intersection of brand mascots, generative AI, and creative entrepreneurship. Stef shares how he moved from general graphic design to agency ownership, then into brand strategy, and eventually carved out a unique niche helping brands create memorable mascot-driven identities. He also opens up about the business model that gives him creative freedom: one major retainer client that covers his needs, plus selective side projects that fuel experimentation. The conversation dives deep into AI’s impact on the creative industry. Michael and Stef tackle the ethical concerns, the “AI is stealing jobs” argument, and why creatives need to stop hiding from the tools that are already reshaping the market. Their take: AI is not going away, and the creatives who thrive will be the ones who learn to direct, conceptualize, experiment, and bring personality to the work. Key Takeaways 1. Recurring revenue creates creative freedomStef’s big retainer client gives him the ability to say no, charge more, and only take side projects that genuinely excite him. 2. Mascots are powerful brand assetsStef explains that characters and sound are among the most memorable brand assets, often outperforming logos, colors, and typography. 3. AI is changing production, not eliminating creativityThe future creative role is less about pushing pixels and more about directing ideas, taste, personality, and brand worlds. 4. The real differentiator is personalityAs high-production visuals become easier to generate, what stands out is character, point of view, humor, and human connection. 5. Don’t be “cooked”—start cookingInstead of ignoring or hating AI, creatives should experiment with it, understand it, and decide how to use it ethically and strategically. Memorable Quotes “Production value on its own is not going to be enough anymore.” “You still need creativity. You still need conceptual thinking.” “Stop saying we’re cooked and start thinking about how we can be cooking.” “The future of creative people is not as much about pushing the pixels as it is directing how those pixels are generated.” Topics Covered Brand strategy, mascot design, AI tools, generative AI ethics, personal branding, creative entrepreneurship, recurring revenue, pricing power, creative direction, brand memorability, and the future of design work. Guest: Stef HamerlinckWebsite & Substack Links Stef Hamerlinck Official Website Marcel’s Lab (Substack) Stef Hamerlinck on Substack (@letstalkbranding) Let’s Talk Branding Podcast (Substack) 📸 InstagramPersonal IG
November 25, 2025
Ep. 27: Is AI Art Actually Art? Breaking Down The Oatmeal’s Spicy Rant w/ Jena Gribble
In this episode, Michael Janda and Jena (“the Gribbler”) break down Matthew Inman’s (The Oatmeal) comic about AI art and what it means for creatives. They talk about that weird “deflated” feeling when you realize something you liked was AI-generated, why artists feel threatened, and how AI both democratizes creativity and risks devaluing hard-earned craft. They compare AI tools to things like Photoshop and digital cameras, dig into why process and struggle matter in art, and ultimately land on a nuanced view: AI-generated stuff is here to stay, but it’s different from human-made art—and creatives can still win by doubling down on their humanity, story, and point of view. About Jena: Jena Gribble is the owner and creative lead of Blush Cactus ( @BlushCactus ) Design Studio, a Phoenix-based branding and design agency. Originally from a small town in South Dakota, she moved to Arizona after studying at the University of North Dakota. With over 12 years of experience in graphic design and several years running her business, Jena empowers fellow creatives by offering not just design services but also education, community and mentorship to help them turn their passion into a viable business. ----more---- 🤝 Connect with Michael Janda Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic, and many other high-profile brands. Michael sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of “Burn Your Portfolio” and “The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.” Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Website Courses Community
30 total episodes available
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- What is What the Helvetica??
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates weekly.
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This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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