Ep 142 - Art, Design, Travel with Lauren Hom

Does creativity make you happy? Designer and letterer Lauren Hom transformed her NYC job to a location independent creative studio. Known for her bright color palettes and playful letterforms, Lauren has created work for clients like Starbucks, Google, AT&T, YouTube and TIME Magazine. She now has the freedom to travel the world to work when and where she wants. In this episode, Lauren shares how she started working for free and now can charge upwards to $30,000 on some projects. She also talks about working for corporate companies, whether you should hire an agent, and how you can market your brand. During the show, Johnny FD and Lauren share their experience dating and traveling as an Asian American. Listen to the end, to hear how Johnny paid off $40,000 in student loans and how you can too.   Links: Website - HomSweetHom.com Book: http://dailydishonesty.com/ Talk: http://hyperakt.com/lunch-talks/lauren-hom/   New Blog Post: http://www.johnnyfd.com/2016/12/lessons-digital-nomad-travel.html 2017 Digital Nomad Summit: http://www.nomadsummit.com/   Show Notes: 02:00 - Starting as an illustrator 04:10 - Trendsetting in NYC 08:20 - Hand Lettering and design 13:00 - Working for corporate companies 15:10 - Hiring an agent 24:30 - Channeling negative energy 25:30 - Dating as an Asian American 35:30 - Traveling as an Asian American 38:45 - Chalk lettering for free lunches 42:00 - Setting high expectations 46:00 - Online creative boot camp 46:50 - Marketing your brand 49:00 - Remote year signup 54:15 - Cost of living: NYC vs Chiang Mai