UX Pro to CEO Joel Mena

Joel tells us about his experience running sprints and debunks the notion of having arbitrary metrics within an organization. He shows us how focusing on the needs of team and creating a space for radical transparency can have a profound impact in performance and building the right culture.

This episode goes beyond design and teaches us how we can leverage tools like emotional intelligence and goal setting principles to overcome some of the biggest challenges creative professionals face.

Joel reminds us about the importance of documenting our growth and breaks down the exact framework he uses for setting goals personally and professionally.    Finally, he shares with us a simple tool he’s developed to help creative professionals get clear, focused, and ensure the actions we take are aligned with the outcomes and person we want to become.

You can access the free resource here:
https://goalsetting.org/goal-setting-worksheet/



Uncovering Misalignments (2:30)
Shifting Focus Form Arbitrary Metrics To Individual Impact (3:50) 
Why Share This? (5:19)
Who Is This For (6:00)
How I Was Undeserving My Team (6:30)
Seniority vs Empathy (7:12)
Types Of Goals (7:55)
Implementation Framework (8:37)
How To Build Momentum (9:00)
Defining Your Future Identity (9:45)
Documenting Your Journey (10:00)
We Grow From Two Experiences (10:33)
Celebrating Your Successes (11:30)
Importance Of Having Written Goal(12:57)
The Work Is In The Planning (14:48)
Getting Focused (15:20)
Getting Aligned (16:19)
Holding Yourself Accountable (16:24)
Why Freelance Designers (17:09)
Building Meaningful Connections With Clients (17:40)

In this episode Joel addresses some of the limiting beliefs that are common among creative professionals (especially early in our careers).  He challenges us to question ‘what is true” and encourages us to reframe situations so we shift our mindset and fasttrack our careers.

He explains how design skills and tech are increasingly becoming a commodity and makes the case for developing our soft skills so we can become better problem solvers and enjoy a more fulfilling career path.

Finally, shares a compelling story about the importance of knowing where we are headed in our personal and professional lives, and guides us through a simple process so we can begin to develop a MAP (Massive Action Plan).



Experience vs Knowing Yourself (2:30)
A New Perspective(3:50)
Creating An Unfair Advantage (4:45)
Design As Commodity (6:15)
Hard Skills vs Smart Skills (7:40)
Looking At Things Through A Different Filter (10:15)
Story Of Two Ships (11:30)
Finding Your Map (13:13)
Information vs Implementation (14:26)
Getting Clear (14:40)
Quantifying Where You Are (16:07)
Creating A Compelling Future (16:40)
Bridging The Gap (17:01)
Final Thoughts (18:09)

In this episode Joel shares his experience of helping other founders and companies while neglecting his own ideas and tells an inspiring story that helped him develop the courage to start his own business.

He teaches us the concept of the “entrepreneur’s formula” and makes the case as to why strategy alone is never a substitute for taking action. He encourages us to invest in ourselves and take ownership of our actions so we can overcome the inner critic

He takes us on a journey through the challenges he faced when starting his own business and reminds us about the importance of developing a sense of purpose in our work.  Finally, he challenges us (designers/entrepreneurs) to take stock of the gifts and ideas that only we can bring to life and inspires us to consider ways we can begin to take action.



The Downside Of Having A Strong Vision (2:00)
Neglecting Your Own Ideas (5:10)
Aligning To Your True Mission (6:15)
Developing The Courage To Take Action
Not Letting Your Dreams Die With You (6:40)
Entrepreneurs Formula (8:10)
A Familiar Path (10:02)
Strategy Is No Substitute For Action (10:47)
The Importance Of Investing On Yourself (11:40)
Taking Ownership (12:30)
Dealing With The Inner Critic (13:39)
When Reality Sets In (14:20)
Identifying Limiting Beliefs (15:55)
Listening To Your Intuition (16:35)
We Don’t Choose What We Are Famous For (17:12)
A Partnership Is Born (18:15)
Life Rewards Those Who Take Chances (19:11)
The Power Of Conviction (20:30)
Learning How To Reframe (22:00)
Building Purpose-Driven Products (23:10)
Discovering Your Talents (24:30)
Final Thoughts (25:02)

Joel shares how developing a sense of awareness manifests itself into the opportunities we get in our lives. He reminds us that unless we truly know who we are and what’s important to us, is hard to find the right fit in our careers.

He shares the role human dynamics play in any organization and how these principles shape leadership and overall culture. He acknowledges that UX frameworks alone are not enough to drive real change and how he was able to leverage coaching principles to gain a deeper understanding of human behavior in order to help clients achieve their desired outcome.

He articulates how we can align our gifts and interests outside of UX into our practice so we can become the truest expression of ourselves, he also reminds us how we can leverage silence to create higher levels of empathy in any situation.




Overcoming Limiting Beliefs (1:10)
Owning Your Time (1:38)
Identifying What’s Important (3:20)
From UX Designer to UX Strategist (3:56)
Dealing With Overwhelm (5:58)
Leadership & Culture (7:11)
When UX Frameworks Fail (8:27)
Re-Discovering Coaching (11:00)
Crazy Idea, Right Path (12:09)
If You Can’t You Must (12:45)
New Patterns Emerge (14:05)
Making a Shift From Expert to Coach (15:10)
Outcomes vs Social Dynamics (16:20)
Practical Advice (17:02)

Joel Mena reminds us of the importance of taking risks (even when it feels uncomfortable).  He shares his journey and the challenges he faced in his career that allowed him to go from UX professional to full-time entrepreneur.  He introduces us to his philosophy on “The Currency of Time” and how to use this concept can be leveraged in our careers to reframe opportunities and take massive action.  

He reminds us about the importance of internal indicators vs external indicators and how to use these to self assess our careers and develop the awareness needed to live a life on purpose. Finally he challenges us to consider what is the story we keep telling ourselves that keeps achieving what we truly want.



Origin Story (2:35)
Taking a Leap of Faith (5:39)
Back to the Rat Race (6:00)
Currency of time (7:00)
Self Assessments (8:55)
Internal Alignment (10:17)
Mindset Shift 11:21)
The Question (12:14)

Join Joel Mena as he shares his journey from UX professional to full-time entrepreneur.  UXPro to CEO is a series of bold conversations with inspiring UX leaders and creative entrepreneurs that provides the listener with actionable tools, frameworks, and strategies they can apply in their career, business, and in life.