Part challenge, part support group, this one-of-a-kind program helps you to finish a personal creative project and add it to your portfolio in just 6 weeks!

Next Challenge Starts: September 19, 2022

Yes! Let's Do this!

Can you relate…

Do you feel like you can just **never make time** for personal work?
Do you love to start things, but can **never seem to finish** them?
Do you ever get sucked into an **insecurity spiral** constantly looking at the work of your peers?
Do you always use the **excuse** of client deadlines to put off personal projects?

You are not alone.

So many creatives face these same roadblocks.

Clients are great (and pay the bills!) but often their tastes are not our own, and working with them comes with a different kind of pressure.

Creating work for ourselves is a great move for your career (and your creative sanity). I can’t tell you how many creatives we have spoken to who cited that creating and sharing their own work was a pivotal turning point in their career. I am sure you have heard the tidbit that the work you show in your portfolio is the kind of work that will come through your door.

So why not show work that feels good to you?

The FauxFolio Challenge is a 6-week guided group program that helps creatives start and finish a dream portfolio project. From picking your project, to creating portfolio-ready imagery, we are there every step of the way to provide constructive feedback and encouragement.

Through daily online support, weekly feedback calls and built-in deadlines, this program is designed to help you accomplish your goals. Below are some of the perks of joining the program:

Discord Community

**A supportive online community hub for all FauxFolio members. Post your progress and get personalized feedback from us and fellow cohort members.**

Weekly Support Calls

Intimate group Zoom calls where members can get specific advice, critique and support on a weekly basis. Weekly calls can be for feedback, special topic workshops, and will include some surprise guests :)

Weekly Check-In Emails

**A weekly love-letter/kick-in-the-butt email that helps to remind you to continue working on your project and provide timely advice and encouragement!**

Website Feature

**At the end I will add your project to a page devoted to all the projects from FauxFolio members!**

Feeling a little overwhelmed by what your personal project could be? Here are some example projects from past cohort members to help inspire you.

Make it stand out

Always putting your own brand on the back burner? Use the challenge to create your own **personal branding**, guided by our much-loved Personal Branding for Creatives bonus course.

Make it stand out

Always busy with client work and feel like you rarely have time to illustrate for yourself? Use the challenge to create an **illustration series** that showcases your unique style.

Make it stand out

Feel like you are not quite reaching your dream branding clients or eager to try something new? Use the challenge to create a **brand identity project** for a faux business to help attract more like-minded clients.

Make it stand out

Love packaging design but feel like you don’t have much in your portfolio to share? Use the challenge to create a dream **packaging design** to help attract new clients.

Make it stand out

Love designing **editorial spreads** but feel like you rarely get the opportunity? Use the challenge to create editorial spreads for a topic that you love, you may just attract your dream editorial clients.

Make it stand out

Tired of creating website designs for clients that you don’t totally love? Use the challenge to create a **website design** that really showcases your style and UI knowledge.

This program is personal to us. As creatives, we know how tough it is to hold space in our schedule to do personal work.

But we have also found personal projects to be crucial to not only our success as designers, but also for keeping us creatively engaged and fulfilled.

From Jess (right): I can attribute much of my early career success to posting personal work on my blog and Instagram. My personal challenge to create 60 days of Mood Boards helped me to not only gain a following (and clients through increased traffic) but also helped me to develop my eye and practice a crucial part of my branding process. Posting faux brand projects and hand-lettering experiments for fun has directly led to some of my favorite client projects.

From Do-Hee (left): Personal projects have always played an important role in my career as a designer. In the early days of freelancing, my personal initiatives, like my 100 Day Project (100 Days of Fonts), were crucial in helping me gain visibility, hone in on my creative voice, and establish a sense of creative discipline. These, with the bulk of my energy devoted to client projects, personal projects now serve as valuable opportunities for me to stretch, play, and explore. I find that the energy and enjoyment I get from personal work feed back into my client work and are crucial to sustaining my design practice.

“Most of us have heard your portfolio should reflect the work you want to do! ... but oftentimes it can be overwhelming when you don't know where to start. This challenge was the perfect first step for me. I was able to work on a ‘dream project’, be held accountable with timelines, and receive helpful feedback from Jess and other creatives who were a part of the challenge. I now have a design I'm proud of and can't wait to use it as a starting point for my new portfolio!!”

- Katie

This one-of-a-kind program is tailor made for the creative that wants to get sh*t done and have support, deadlines, and learning along the way.

Here is what you will accomplish during the 6-week FauxFolio Challenge:

A full personal project added to your portfolio website
Examples include: a faux branding project, illustration collection, faux website design, photo styling project, daily project, hand-lettering licensing examples…the options are endless and we can help you narrow in on your project!
Tools and support to promote your project & business
We offer so much support through weekly intimate feedback/support calls, the bonus course on building a personal brand & marketing tips, PLUS access to recorded interviews with successful creative ladies.
Your project posted to our official FauxFolio Challenge website
The deadline to be featured on the website provides the needed structure to get your project done in time! Plus then you have your portfolio imagery all ready to add to your own website!
A supportive community of fellow creatives
Honestly this may be the best perk of all! The intimate group feedback calls and supportive private Discord community leads to lasting relationships.

Past cohort members really loved this special program. In fact, for the second round of the program nearly half of the first round participants signed up again!

Too many online programs sell you on a dream of 10k months and fake promises of support. This program is different. We truly want you to feel accomplished at the end of the 6-weeks and come away with more confidence, knowledge, AND a finished project!

testimonials

“The FauxFolio Challenge is an amazing way to build confidence, meet other designers, and kick start your personal brand! My favorite part was the feedback from other members and weekly love letters/guidance from Jess. It was the perfect amount of structure to hold me accountable and get past those creative hurdles. I walked away with a new logo, style guide, business cards, and a faux essential oils brand!” - Frankie

“I joined the FauxFolio Challenge because I was feeling really discouraged as a designer. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how to get there and I felt like this course helped me get back on track. It's so much more than just a FauxFolio project- it encourages you to own yourself as a designer and dig deep into your values and find your voice. Jess is an amazing mentor with a wealth of knowledge. She provides valuable feedback and is right by your side from beginning to end. I was also blown away by the incredible talent in group and how supportive the community is in wanting you to succeed. I have come out of the FauxFolio Challenge a much more decisive, courageous and confident designer than I had a few months ago. I'm really proud of the progression I've made and I have this course to thank for that!” -Toni

“The FauxFolio Challenge was just the kick I needed to update my design portfolio, which sadly had not been touched in over a year! I was able to have full creative control over a project that I can now use to attract my dream clients. I feel inspired and refreshed and can't wait to add more creative projects of my choosing.” -Andrea

“This program exceeded my expectations! I came in looking for something to help push me and hold me accountable. I ended up creating more work than I expected, getting valuable feedback from Jess and the community, and getting creative and business inspiration from the guest speakers.” - JR

“I really loved the program as it expanded my perspective on myself, my business and gave me tools to work on personal work and develop myself further! Overall really enjoyed it an I experienced growth in the two months.” - Vess

“I wanted to join the challenge to add to my portfolio and gain a creative, collaborative community. The Challenge kept me accountable and in the process I made so many new, meaningful connections from all over the world!” - Halee

“The FauxFolio Challenge was a great way to improve my design skills and to explore the kind of work I would like to do in the future. It's a small group that keeps you accountable but at an easy pace for those who struggle to find time. It was the push I needed to create new work, and I'm really happy with the results.” - Jez

“I am so grateful for this community and challenge. It was such a pleasure to work/ play with my design concept and be motivated along the way. Thank you for hosting the zoom chats and gathering a diversity of expertise. I learned more than I anticipated!” - Paige

“I'm so glad that I joined the Fauxfolio Challenge! It provided the accountability and support that I needed to accomplish a project that I'd been putting off for far too long. Over the course of two months, I dug deep into my own personal brand and created a project for my portfolio that I am truly proud of. I learned so much from Jess and the lunch & learn guests and loved working alongside the other members of the group.” - Mariel

“As a freelancer it's often hard to find the time or motivation to design for yourself. The FauxFolio Challenge helped immensely by providing knowledge, accountability, a support system and the expertise of Jess and guest speakers. I'm so happy to have participated and to come out of the challenge with work I'm proud of!” - Ruthie

“I joined Fauxfolio for the creative community and the portfolio review (which I desperately needed). This course allowed me to connect with other creative ladies who inspired me and pushed me along this journey. I learned a lot about myself through the branding exercises and ultimately created a project I’m really proud of. Between all the lessons and the support from the group, I’ve been able to be more confident in my work and have presented myself professionally in the digital space which resulted in some awesome commissions. If you’re on the fence on joining, don’t be. Best money you’ll ever invest in yourself. Perfect for anyone, in any level, to create something for yourself that you’re proud of.”

- Talisa

Bonus Offers for Joining the Challenge

FREE Personal Branding Course

*$147 Value*
Are you your own worst client? I know I can be. Because let’s be honest for a quick second. Working on the visuals for your own business is the best and the worst. As visual people we can easily get lost in the seemingly endless design directions that we can take our own brand.
And here is the problem - we often look at personal branding as a fun design project and not what it truly is: a business marketing tool.
This course is packed full of guided questions to dive deep into your personal brand, helpful tips for creating your visual strategy, designing a portfolio website, choosing a personal project, and marketing your business to the world!

FREE Portfolio Audit

*$120 Value*
If you join the challenge by **September 6, 2022**, I will review your portfolio website and provide a video sharing my thoughts on your work and website design so you can make changes that will help you to move the needle in your business.
Past members on my portfolio audits:

*”WOW this was immensely helpful! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I couldn't agree with you more on everything you suggested! I can't say* ***Thank You****, enough! I truly appreciate you taking the time to do this.” - Cecily*
*“Thank you so much for reviewing my portfolio! Super helpful and with great points that I'll be keen to focus/refine. :) Makes me even more excited to keep going and working!” - Vess*

”***THIS IS GOLD.*** *I really appreciate your feedback. I'm so stoked to rebrand and re-do! Thank you for your amazing knowledge and support, this challenge has exceeded my expectations tenfold.” - Wanna*

Full Access to past interviews with successful creatives.

*$250 Value*
**You will have access to 7 hours of intimate interviews with incredible successful creatives.**
- Learn about mindset and scaling your business to six-figures with **Morgan Rapp.**
- Learn about licensing and creating a career as an artist with **Juliet Meeks**.
- Learn about facing your fears and taking action with artist and author, **Meera Lee Patel**.
- Learn about web design and how to price complex projects with **Do-Hee Kim**.

- Learn about holding space for creative practice with **Olivia Herrick**.

- Learn about working with celebrities and building an agency with designer **Amber Asay**.

- Learn about following your own path and thinking long term with designer **Kattel Schmitz**.

Invest in yourself and join the Fall 2022 FauxFolio Challenge Cohort!

This Fall cohort of ladies is going to be special, I can feel it! It is going to be filled with people on a mission to devote time to their passion projects. It is your time to say bye-bye to all of the excuses, and hello to a finished project you are excited to share! This has been one heck of a tough few years - having a supportive virtual community of colleagues cheering you on can make all the difference.
*Program starts Monday September 19, 2022 and ends Friday October 28, 2022*

Ready to join?
Two ways to pay!

Whatever way you choose, all perks of the program are included.

Pay in Full

6-weeks of accountability
Private Discord group
Personalized critiques + support
Weekly love letter in your inbox
Weekly Feedback/Support Calls
Work Featured on our Website
BONUS: Personal Branding Course
BONUS: Portfolio Audit (if sign up by 9/6/22)
BONUS: Past Interviews with successful creatives

Single payment of $479

Payment Plan

6-weeks of accountability
Private Discord group
Personalized critiques + support
Weekly love letter in your inbox
Weekly Feedback/Support Calls
Work Featured on our Website
BONUS: Personal Branding Course
BONUS: Portfolio Audit (if sign up by 9/6/22)
BONUS: Past Interviews with successful creatives

Three payments of $160

More FauxFolio Member Experiences

testimonials

“This challenge has really helped me to define my style, and inspired me to keep creating and trying new things! I have so much more confidence as a freelancer now, and can better articulate what I have to offer to potential clients. :)” - Lisa

“As I shift the focus of my business, the FauxFolio Challenge gave me the accountability and support I needed to finally work on my personal branding and completely redesign my portfolio website. Self promotion is always the last thing on my list, so this was invaluable! Working with Jess and the talented group of participants gave me fresh and honest insight into my brand and how to improve it to reflect the work I want to attract.” - Kate

“I enjoyed the first round of the FauxFolio Challenge so much that I couldn't pass up joining again! I'm someone who always has a long list of personal projects that I just never seem to prioritize. Once again, this program provided the accountability I needed to complete a new project for my portfolio that aligns with the work I want to be doing. Between the Tea and Teach sessions with successful creatives, Jess's weekly emails and ongoing support, and the feedback from the other members, this challenge is so incredibly valuable!” - Mariel

“I joined the FauxFolio challenge to actually make something of the ideas I always said I wanted to get to. It offered me a great way to focus and narrow in on one idea, get constructive feedback, and learn from both the experts brought in for Lunch & Learns, Jess' generosity and insight, and my fellow peers. I loved the variety of what my co-creators were doing, as well as everyone's unique approach. I also really appreciated how we all worked from our own process and way of doing things, even while discovering something new. It helped me refine my own voice, style, and workflow rather than modeling it after someone else's, and I created a project I'm so incredibly proud of.” - Nikkita

“I'm so thankful that I joined FauxFolio challenge! I have always dreamed of launching a signature course. However, client work always gets in the way and I keep putting this idea off. Through the FauxFolio challenge, I was finally able to create the brand identity for this course. And now, I'm so inspired to launch this course in the next few months. Jess is beyond generous of her time & wisdom. She provides honest & personalized feedback to everyone! This high-touch experience with a mentor is so valuable! I also love the energy and diversity in the group. Everyone's so inspiring and the updates in the community remind me to carve-out time for my personal project.” - Rache

“This program helped me gain the confidence in executing conceptual projects that are in line with the work I ultimately want to be attracting. I was also able to dive into my own personal branding with the guided course. It made the experience of working on my portfolio a lot less intimidating and with the FB group it felt like I had a community of creatives to rely on.” - Isabel

“I always get ideas that I want to work on "someday", but the Fauxfolio Challenge gave me the accountability I needed to just pick an idea and GO. This was exactly what I needed to get over my creative blocks and make progress in figuring out my style. AND, after posting my project on instagram, I landed 2 new freelance projects that were better aligned with what I want to do! :)” - Lisa

“It was such a fun experience going through the Fauxfolio Challenge and meeting new people! It felt nice to have a finished project at the end but most importantly the feeling that you were not alone in the whole process. The support system and being able to see the progress of other Creatives made this inspiring and unforgettable. I’m glad to have been a part of it all with my fellow members!” - Shiho

Click on the testimonial to view larger.

Answering your Q’s!

When does this program start?
The program starts on Monday September 19, 2022. You will be given full access to the Personal Branding course, private Discord group, and the estimated dates for our weekly support calls.

Will the group calls be recorded?
Yes! They will all be recorded through Zoom and posted in your course site.

How long will I have access to the course and call recordings?
Forever (or as long as the course site is up). But highly encourage you to take advantage of the 6-week deadline to get yourself moving on a project so you can get results!

How long will I be a member of the Discord group?
The Discord group will be available for 3 months.

Can you explain more about this FauxFolio Cohort website?
Yes! You can check out the last two cohort’s projects here! This page will be a great way to get new eyes on your work PLUS it provides an invaluable deadline to complete your project. The problem with personal projects is that there is no hard-set deadline and so we can continually push things back more and more. At the end of the program I will give you an extra week or two to send over your final files and information so that I can post them on the website!

How much is this program?
You have two choices you can pay a one-time fee of $479, or three payments of $160. I purposely priced this program to be pretty affordable compared to other group programs with this much support. The value of this program is incredible, and I really believe this investment will pay off! Not only because it will help you to share your style with the world, but also for the relationships you will make.

What kind of projects are a good fit for this program?
It is truly up to you, but it should be a creative project that helps you to showcase your style and the kind of work you would like more of. From a faux branding project, to a photography series, to lettering licensing samples…the options are endless. That being said, visual mediums will work best for this program.

What will we discuss on the zoom support calls?
In the weekly zoom support calls we will discuss important topics related to creative business, have surprise guest interviews with successful creatives, and best of all have the opportunity for members to share about their projects and ask for feedback in a supportive small group setting. The calls will be recorded and we will provide more clarity to the schedule once the program begins.

How many members will there be for the first cohort?
The number may vary depending on how many people will enroll, but I have set the limit at 50 people so that it remains an intimate experience.

I am just interested in the Personal Branding course, can I buy that separately?
Not at this time, you must enroll in the challenge to access the course.

Have any other questions, send us an email here!

If you want different results, you have to try something different.

With support and encouragement from us and your colleagues, real deadlines, and heaps of helpful information you will be well on your way to building an amazing foundation for your creative business.

Join today!