Michael Nieling of Ocupop
"Everyone is going to hate this and think I am full of shit.'
That's me. That's 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.
Jumping off from the hugely popular Fuck No, Shit Yeah, Damn Right series of lectures, this new 2017 talk is 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 fucking doubt it.
Michael Nieling is a designer, educator, father, and full time spaz. He is the Creative Director at Ocupop and also co-founder of Lanona Shoes, Kunoa Cattle Company, and Autowatts. Splitting time between studios in Hawaii, British Columbia, California, and Wisconsin, if he's not on an airplane, he's likely somewhere shouting about design.
Helping to define the visual language of the web for almost 20 years, Michael has led design projects 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 has directed a small, super-powered team in creating some of the most influential logos, icons, campaigns and user interfaces on the web and beyond.