Last fall, I had the opportunity to attend the AIGA ThinkTank in Nashville, Tennessee. It was nice to be in a room full of other in-house designers, and of course, to get the free designer swag that they poured on us. Among the speakers were Rich Roat (House Industries), Armin Vit (Under Consideration, Speak Up), and Seymour Chwast (Pushpin Group, design legend). They all gave informative presentations, and it was great to hear about the paths of some of the industries most successful designers.

While Mr. Roat showed an impressive portfolio, and Armin gave the most entertaining presentation, my favorite speaker of the event was Mike Janda of Jandaco. His name was last on the bill, and I had no idea who he was before that day. Out of everyone that spoke that day, his information has been the most memorable and helpful as I have gone out on my own.

He spent years going through a cycle of being hired and laid off as the economy and design field shifted. Finally, tired of the cycle, he started his own company. He started out in his basement and eventually hired his first employee: a neighborhood high school kid. In 2008, his company was named the 17th fastest growing company in the Utah Valley.

His presentation was a list of  practical points that have proven to be helpful. He talked about how to design better, work better, and manage better. He kept going back to the fact that “it’s all about relationships”. He emphasized that no one can afford relationship arrogance. The girl who made copies for him eventually turned into an art director who hired him. The high school student he hired helped launch what is now a thriving company. Some of his best contacts came from the most unexpected people.

I’m fortunate to be a part of a great creative community. I have talented designers, programmers, photographers, and writers a phone call away. Some of them work in offices and wear heels every day. Some of them work outside and in coffee shops. Some of them have been my supervisors and some of them have been interns in offices where I’ve worked. We learn and grow by sharing clients, projects, and resources.

Social networking on sites like Twitter and Facebook has been an amazing tool in all of this. That said, there is no substitute for meeting people in person. Go to networking events, conferences, and mixers. Talk to people, get to know them, and learn about what they do. Eat lunch with strangers at information sessions. If all of those sound intimidating or overwhelming (we were not all born extroverts, after all), just be nice to the people you interact with on a daily basis. Even if it never leads to a big job, you’ll probably get to meet some really great people.