What the Helvetica?

About What the Helvetica?

”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.

Publisher

Michael Janda

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Apr 2024

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

31 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Ep. 30: The Future of Logo Design, AI, and Branding with LogoLounge Founder Bill Gardner

   Are logos becoming obsolete? Is AI going to replace graphic designers? And what does it take to build a successful creative agency that lasts more than 40 years? In this episode of What the Helvetica, Michael Janda sits down with Bill Gardner, founder of LogoLounge, legendary logo designer, branding expert, and author of Iconic Branding, to discuss the past, present, and future of graphic design. Bill shares lessons from four decades of running a creative agency, his unforgettable meeting with legendary designer Saul Bass, and why designers need to stop designing for today and start thinking about tomorrow. We get into AI and its impact on graphic design, the evolution of logo design trends, controversial rebrands like Jaguar and Cracker Barrel, and why great branding goes far beyond a logo. Whether you're a graphic designer, brand strategist, freelancer, or creative agency owner, this conversation is packed with insights about building a lasting creative career and staying relevant in an industry that's constantly changing. Connect with Bill: 📚 Bill's New Book — The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding
https://amzn.to/4zjlz2v 🔗 LogoLounge — Logo Design Inspiration & Trends
https://www.logolounge.com/ 🎨 Gardner Design — Bill's Branding Agency
https://gardnerdesign.com/ 👤 Meet Bill Gardner
https://www.instagram.com/bill.gardner.design https://gardnerdesign.com/team/bill-gardner 📸 LogoLounge on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/logolounge/ 📈 LogoLounge Annual Logo Trend Reports
https://www.logolounge.com/trends

2. 

   4 May 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

3. 

   1 May 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

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

20

Social presence

97

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.