mad house on madison

Featuring: Jordan I asked my friend and former coworker, Jordan, to share her perspective on rebranding, reinvention, and creative growth through a series of voice notes. You can follow her journey on TikTok: @lifethroughjordan

The Thinker’s Soundtrack

10 Years Later: 312 Apparel Co. I had the idea to start a business in my dorm room. That idea eventually became a "clothing line" — which was really just dropshipping t-shirts under the name 312 Apparel Co. It wasn't perfect, but it was mine. So I took it and ran with it. At 20 years old, I already knew I had the ability to design, edit video, build websites — I’d been doing that since 4th or 5th grade. And since I was a business/marketing major, launching something of my own just made perfect sense. So I started that same night. And while building it over the years, I fell in love with the process. My thinking was: even if it didn’t “work,” I’d walk away with real skills and a college degree. And that’s exactly what happened. When the brand went dormant, I was working professionally and freelancing — applying everything I’d taught myself. But I always knew I wasn’t done. I just stepped away to complete a necessary part of the process. Now I’m back — with more clarity than ever on where I want to take the brand. Back in 2014, 2015, even when I rebranded to UNNNAMED in 2016, I was still figuring things out. I used the brand as a vehicle to explore different sides of the work. Now, ironically, that’s exactly what this platform is again — a space to showcase the creative process from different angles. A full-circle moment.

The Painter From the Plane On a flight a while back, I had a conversation with someone who turned out to be an artist. We were just talking about our work — no deep backstories, no oversharing, just that creative energy you recognize in someone else. We followed each other on social media afterwards, and that’s when I started seeing her artwork and it got my attention because it was so different. Her approach was so unique that it prompted me to reach out and share some of her work in a journal entry.

city nights

Esti Pro for Creatives: Worth It or Not? I’m always testing tools that help me keep the work moving and the visuals fresh. Lately, I’ve been playing with this photo and video editing app called Esti — specifically the Pro version — and wanted to drop a quick review for other creatives out there who care about how things look, but also care about how easy it is to get there. This isn’t sponsored. Just something I tried and liked enough to share. The main Features of the app 1. Templates & Collages Esti’s got a bunch of templates that work for both photos and video clips — good if you’re building moodboards, story posts, or promo visuals. They’re clean, modern, and can help you switch up your usual layout. The one thing that I don't like is that once you drop your media in, there’s not much wiggle room to resize or reframe 2. Filters That Feel Like 2012 IG (In a Good Way) There’s a filter for every vibe — grainy, glowy, grungy, clean. The filters are nostalgic but not played out, and give your stuff a bit of character without feeling overdone.

Missed By That Much During my trip to NYC, I almost met Jay-Z. And I say met very loosely. It was night 4 of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour at MetLife Stadium. The show was about to start, my girlfriend and I were still outside trying to find the right gate to access our suite seats. Once we realized we had to go through the VIP gate, we started running. From outside, we heard the arena erupt, Beyoncé was about to hit the stage. Out of breath but relieved, we finally reached the correct entrance. That’s when the elevator attendant casually hit us with: “You just missed Jay-Z. I just took him up.” The way he looked — like he’d just seen a ghost — I believed him. I get it though, it's Hov. He also mentioned that he was with a large group (not surprising), so the odds of them letting strangers on the elevator were slim to none… but not zero. Still, it got me thinking though: What would I even say if I had the chance? Would I Be Ready If It Did Happen? It made me check myself. Have I been showing up the way I need to? Have I been giving enough 100% days to confidently show someone like THAT what I’ve been building? Sure, my work is good. But is it ready for that many eyeballs? Would I freeze or stutter my words? Or would I move with clarity and confidence? All throughout the concert, I was sitting with that question. Getting real honest with myself. Sometimes we crave the moment, the break, the one shot that changes everything. But the truth is: sometimes we’re not ready for it yet. And getting the opportunity before you’re ready? That can set you back more than anything. I’d Rather Build diligently Than Break Loudly I’m not trying to blow up off of a moment I can’t even follow through on. I want to stay down until it’s my time — and when it is, I’ll be more than ready. I’ll have the proof, not just the pitch. I’ll have the receipts, not just the energy. I’ll have the work. I don’t need to fake it or force it. I just need to keep going. A line from The Sopranos that always stuck with me: “Time and patience turned the mulberry leaf to silk.” Running my own race.

BUILDING IN PUBLIC There’s something powerful about being open and honest about where you are in the process. Not where you want to be, but where you actually are. Its different because so many people (and brands) are performing. They’re tweaking, curating, faking it ’til it’s marketable. I’ve always felt like the most interesting content was abstract, raw and unpolished. It invites people into the process, not just the end product. You don’t have to pretend you’re something you’re not yet. You can just be. And that’s the part that people connect with. Because most people are in the middle too — not finished, not polished, not perfect. Just building. Just figuring it out. KEEPING THE WORK FLOWING The opposite of building in public is building in private. And that usually entails hoarding ideas, designs, videos, photos and never letting them see the light of day. I know because I used to do that. Still do sometimes. That's because when you let perfectionism take the wheel, nothing moves. The creative energy gets blocked. Building in public, for me, is about keeping the pipeline open. Getting the work out. Releasing it while it’s still hot. Not waiting until it's “perfect,” because the truth is, you’re never gonna feel like it’s perfect. REAL CONNECTION So why do this? Why share in-progress work, rough thoughts, journal entries, playlists, visual drops, mood boards — why put all that out in the open? Because that’s how you find your people. The long-term payoff is connection. Community. Resonance. You start seeing who’s really on the same journey. Or maybe they’re on a whole different one, but the fight feels familiar. The ambition. The slow burn. This whole platform is rooted in process, evolution, expression. Any other way of doing it would be off-brand and dishonest. And nothing built on dishonesty lasts anyway.