I let my 8-year-old daughter redesign my newsletter logo, and the result surprised me

Something a bit different this week. It's been one year since I rebranded this newsletter as "Career Forward" and it was time for a refresh. Same content, but new look.

This recent refresh came about because of my daughter. She designed this new Career Forward logo.

"But Chris, what does this have to do with careers?!" you ask.

To which I respond, "Everything."

First consider for a moment that I let an 8-year-old kid redesign a logo for a newsletter that has 44.2k subscribers. A newsletter and audience which I genuinely care about and write for because I want to, not because I have to or for monetary gain.

I've seen what my daughter is capable of, her talent, and interest in art and design.

She knows her way around Canva.

She's seen this newsletter because she was curious what dada does and writes about. Last week she said she could do a better logo than what I had.

Me, "Oh really? Alright then little love, go for it."

Her, "Seriously?!"

Me, "Yeah, come up with some options for me to choose from. I like simple fonts, it's gotta fit in these tiny square spaces, and it can say either the name or just be a logo."

Her, "OK!"

She walked out of the room and talked to mama (AKA her Canva mentor), came back and said, "It will cost you $30."

Me,

But then, after considering what I paid for the full rebrand last year (which, I should say I was totally happy with)...

"Deal. I'm now your client, and will pay you the $30 when I agree on the final design."

Her, "OK!!"

Still, talent and all, she's 8-years-old and I was taking a bit of a risk committing to this. Because whatever the result, I was going to use it.

I keep my word.

One hour later she came back with logo options.

These were the top three from the batch of six she showed me:

Well done! Damn, she actually knows what she's doing.

Alright then. Let's do this.

We dove into it together.

I said I'd like to see just a logo without the words, since the newsletter name is prominent in notifications and where the banner appears anyway.

Here's the result:

Done. Yeah, there's a little imperfection there, but it reminds me that my daughter did this and that she's still learning.

I love it.

I love it both for what it is and because of who created it for me, with a little inspiration and guidance from my video editing wife of course!

This is ultimately about opportunity

A key point I want to make here is I am completely and totally happy with the results of my daughter's work.

We both got something out of the deal. I got a nice new logo and my daughter got a lesson in what it can be like to put her talents and skills to work, achieve a result, and get rewarded for a job well done.

Establishing new working relationships between those seeking opportunity and those willing to provide it often becomes a framework of career success on both sides.

It won't always pay off when somebody tells you, "Just give me a chance to show you what I can do," but when it does, it can pay off big.

Providing an opportunity to somebody can change a life and the trajectory of a career.

It can also provide a spark of originality or inspire new ways of thinking that maybe you won't get by leveraging traditional workflows or established experts.

So my message for this week is simple:

• For those in a position to provide opportunity: Open yourself up to the potential somebody might provide beyond your initial expectations. Give somebody a chance who you might otherwise have overlooked.
• For those seeking opportunity: Go for it. Reach out to somebody or for something you think might be just out of reach, but go for it anyway. You never know what might come of it. If you don't take the chance, you'll never know.

?? And lastly to my daughter who is going to read this... I am so, so proud of you. You're talented, and you'll be able to do whatever you put your mind to, just like what you did for this logo. Love, dad.

?? If you leave a comment of encouragement for her about the new logo, I'll share it with her.

?? If you could follow only one person this week...

It should be Career Expert and LinkedIn VP of Integrated Consumer Communications Catherine Fisher . She's got a relatively new newsletter called Career Companion that is deserving of your follow.

?? Random LinkedIn tip of the week

Update your profile page. I KNOW you probably haven't done it recently. Admit it. Take a quick swing through it and make sure it's at the very least reflective of your current professional goals. Review your imagery and maybe spruce up your profile image and refresh your banner image, check that your professional summary is tight, your job experience is clear and concise, and that you're using that "Featured" section to highlight recent work.

Next week, more career news and career news roundups. Until then!