Podcast Appearances
They talked about everything except work, and those relationships built in vulnerability and honesty became some of her strongest professional partnerships.
I would say this is a masterclass in relationship building and a reminder that soft skills aren't soft at all.
They are the infrastructure.
The design work is downstream of trust.
In an industry obsessed with output, Alana was building something more long-term, genuine human connection at scale.
This moment created an interesting conversation where even though we agreed, we bounded around the idea that do people know what they're doing?
Should they know what they're doing?
Or is it okay not to know?
Because Ilana refused to let the expertise become a barrier that separates a seasoned creative from everyone else.
Her argument was that the uncertainty is the great equalizer.
And that's especially true right now when AI has put every established workflow up for question.
Nobody has figured this out.
The designer on stage saying, I don't know what I'm doing, isn't being self-deprecating.
They're being honest about something universal.
What matters is uncertainty, is being confident with what you do know, while staying open to everything you don't.
That combination, solid footing plus genuine curiosity, is exactly what Alana describes as her approach to leadership, client work and the future of the industry.
It's humble and powerful at the same time.
If you haven't checked out a full episode with Alain Aradic, I would love to encourage you to do so because it's very much stands to the title of the episode, Shifting Back to Human.
It was a really good reminder of how we can work with clients and build relationships.
And I thank you for being here and I'll see you on the next one next week.