Advice I’d Give to My Younger Self (And Any Recent Grad Who Asks)

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing candidates for a marketing role at the YMCA—many of them recent or soon-to-be graduates. Their optimism, professionalism, and genuine desire to make an impact left me energized.

One even asked for career advice, which sent me down a rabbit hole of what I wish I had known at their stage. And honestly? It made me realize how differently I approached my early career. Back then, my focus wasn’t on internships—it was on where my band was touring next. I wasn’t thinking about long-term career moves, and looking back, I probably should have.

So, here’s the advice I’d give my younger self (and anyone else trying to break into marketing, design, or anything creative).

1. Your Time is Valuable—Treat it That Way

In the earlydays, I took every opportunity that came my way. Free projects, small gigs, anything to build a portfolio. I told myself that exposure and experience mattered more than money. And while that’s partially true, here’s what I wish I had known:

• The first project can be free. After that, if they value your work, they should be happy to pay.

• Not every opportunity is worth your time. Learn to say no—because the wrong projects will drain your energy for the right ones.

• Document everything. Over the years, I’ve been bad about archiving my work. Then came apartment fires, hard drive failures, and just plain time erasing pieces of my portfolio. Keep backups. Save what you’re proud of. And only share your best.

Some lessons, I learned the hard way. One time, I did a few free projects for a client who kept asking for more. Eventually, they ghosted, and the work I poured time into either got misused or never used at all. Lesson learned: Set expectations. Have contracts. Protect your work.

And if you’re over-delivering for a job that isn’t paying you? It’s time to move on.

2. Passion Won’t Pay the Bills—But It’s Still Worth Chasing

For years, music was my entire plan. I lived in a small house with my bandmates, always taking the smallest room (to be fair, I was the smallest). We wrote, recorded, and played shows constantly. I thought that was the path.

Then reality hit. A health scare made me realize I couldn’t keep floating along without things like, you know, health insurance. Not long after, my band broke up, and suddenly, my side gig—building websites, designing, and creating content—was all I had.

Luckily, Roundus took a chance on me. I started as an intern and worked my way up, filling gaps where I saw them—bridging the divide between design/development and figuring out marketing on the fly. And somewhere along the way, Plan B became Plan A.

Scott Galloway says not to “follow your passion” but to follow your talent—because passion will follow. I mostly agree, and I've embraced my backup plan. But some passions? Some you have to hold onto by your fingernails.

For me, playing music makes the rest of it all sustainable. It’s not just a creative outlet—it’s the thing that fuels everything else. Finding other creatives who share that same drive—like my bandmate Steven, who’s not just a killer drummer but an incredible designer and all-around brilliant thinker—reminds me that you don’t have to let go of the things that set your soul on fire. You have to find a way to make it work.

3. Value Your Community

I first understood this through music. If people don’t show up, venues don’t book you again. It’s that simple. And while the stakes are different in marketing, the lesson is the same: Show up for your community, and they’ll show up for you.

At the Y, I see it play out daily. Whether it’s helping a family in crisis, supporting someone through loss, or even—yes—saving a life, this team shows up. That’s not marketing. That’s community. And it keeps me invested in the work, even on the tough days.

4. Build Your Portfolio—Then Protect It

Your work is your currency. Every job, every project, and every campaign you build adds to it. But if you don’t take care of that work—if you don’t document, back up, and archive what you create—you might as well be throwing money away.

I’ve lost work to apartment fires. To failing hard drives. To platforms going under. And to my own bad habit of thinking, I’ll save this later.

Here’s what I wish I had done sooner:

• Back up everything. Cloud storage, external hard drives, and even physical copies for print work.

• Curate your best work. You don’t need to share everything, just the pieces that define your skill set.

• Build in public. Whether it’s a personal website, a Substack, or just LinkedIn, having a place to showcase your work outside of client projects is invaluable.

And if you’re starting out? Do the work, even if it’s small. My first freelance job was in 2005, building a website for Edward’s Stone in HTML slices (it feels ancient now). I barely charged Ed, but that job led to many more. Getting that first gig, that first yes, is what sets everything else in motion.

I wish someone had drilled into my head earlier this kind of advice. What would you add to this list if you’re starting out or if you’ve learned a lesson the hard way?