This concept did not get chosen. One of my first clients at ...

This concept did not get chosen. One of my first clients at the beginning of my freelance career decided to go with another designer’s direction, and this piece almost disappeared into the archive.

But I loved it too much, so I reworked it and added it to my portfolio anyway. It became one of the pieces that brought in the most clients when I was starting out.

Moral of the story: save your “nos.” Sometimes they become the work that opens the most doors.