ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 26TH, WE’RE RETURNING WITH “ANXIETY” FT. MICHAEL NIELING!

Michael Nieling is a designer, educator, father, and full-time spaz. He is the Creative Director at Ocupop, a creative agency that has led design projects and campaigns for companies at all ends of the spectrum — from Google, Facebook, and Mozilla to PBS, SXSW and Burton Snowboards to countless successful (and horribly failed) startups. Michael is also co-founder of Kunoa Cattle Company. Traveling in from Honolulu, HI, we caught up with Michael to get to know him better.

What do you typically eat for breakfast?

My family actually makes fun of me because I am so predictable in this regard. I have granola, yogurt and berries for breakfast EVERY morning. It is my favorite food. I am sad and boring.

What do people know you for?

I guess generally, if I am known for anything, it is my candid, personal, somewhat off-color style of sharing the stories of our successes and failures in a way that seems to resonate with a lot of creative people. Beyond that, people that know me well, know me for being a human border collie - a complete spaz who cannot sit still and loves to constantly be running at full speed. Oh, and I live in Hawaii, people like when I bring that up, especially when it is negative 50 degrees in Milwaukee.

How is Milwaukee special to you?

My wife grew up in Milwaukee and still has family there, so we spend every summer in the city and I work out of Ocupop’s studios in the Fifth Ward. It is by far the best Midwest city — and I know this because I have experienced them all — we’ve lived in Minneapolis, Madison, Chicago and Milwaukee over the years. Milwaukee has all the benefits of a bigger city with much less of the negatives that size usually brings and the outdoor activities blow away any of the other options. The ability to go surfing, sailing, swimming and paddling on Lake Michigan right out your front door is pretty magical thing that makes Milwaukee really special to me.

What may people not know about you?

Throughout my entire life, since I was in early elementary school, I have dealt with mild to severe anxiety and depression. Though on the outside looking in, I am constantly going a hundred miles an hour and seemingly confident and doing well, I am perpetually waging an internal battle with nervous feelings of inadequacy and generally speaking, sick to my stomach.

What drives your creativity?

I love solving problems. I love figuring shit out. As the world gets more automated, sophisticated and efficient with technology, machine learning, and outsourced labor I find more and more that creativity is the major differentiator. Creative people, especially those with just enough confidence to take on new challenges outside of their comfort zone are not only NOT being obsoleted, but they are becoming more and more valuable. That feeling of facing unknown challenges, learning deeply and working with smart people to craft a solution drives me day in and day out, nothing is more rewarding. Well that and I love proving my anxiety and imposter complexes wrong.

What are you going to talk to us about in your talk on “Pioneer”?

“Everyone is going to hate this and think I am full of shit.’

That’s me — the voice booming inside my head every time I step on stage at an event. Every time I speak up in a meeting. Every time I present work or paddle out for a surf. For a guy who brims with self-confidence outwardly, that awful internal pep talk reverberates over and over again, perpetually casting doubt, challenging me to prove it wrong.

I am hoping to give a talk full of insight, inspiration, and imposter complexes — with every laugh, tear, and expletive focused on using personal doubt and internal perspective to fuel creativity and success.

If you have the same shitty life coach, you should come; it’ll probably be great. Though I f***ing doubt it.

Ticket registration opens Monday, January 22nd at 11 AM CST. Grab a ticket as fast as you can — they are free but limited!