The final weeks of the year are always a strange mix of exhaustion and excitement. Deadlines pile up, projects need to be wrapped, and creative teams try to squeeze out just a little more energy before welcoming the new year. That’s exactly why NicePeopleClub created the Nice Talk Year-End Session 2025, a week-long learning experience designed to help freelancers, designers, content teams, project managers, and studio owners reset their creative mindset and rebuild their systems before entering 2026.
Held online from 11-19 December 2025, in collaboration with NTMY and Stellaris1, Nice Talk brought together real-world insights, practical frameworks, and honest conversations about what it really means to build a creative system that works.
If you missed the event or want a full recap, this article breaks down everything that happened, what people learned, and why the key message still stands strong:
Great creative work doesn’t come from inspiration alone, it runs on systems.
Why the Nice Talk Year-End Session Matters for the Creative Community
For many creative workers, December is a time of reflection: What worked this year? What didn’t? Which projects drained your energy? Which ones helped you grow? Most importantly, how can you enter the new year with more clarity and less burnout?
NicePeopleClub built the Nice Talk Year-End Session for exactly these questions.
Instead of giving generic advice or motivational quotes, every session was based on real experiences from NTMY and Stellaris1, two teams who manage fast-paced creative operations for real clients daily. This made the event relatable and practical for:
- Freelancers who want to become founders
- New designers eager to learn real-world workflows
- Mid-level and senior designers looking for better clarity
- Project managers wanting stronger operational structures
- Studio owners trying to scale their creative teams
- Content creators hunting for ways to stay consistent
The goal was simple:
Sharing with the creative minds how to work smarter by using systems to scale.
A Nice Talk Year-End Session-by-Session Breakdown
Below is a detailed recap of all five sessions held during the Nice Talk Year-End Session 2025.
1. From Freelancer to “Founder” by Richard Fang, CEO of NicePeopleClub
The week opened with a powerful session from Richard Fang, CEO & Founder of NicePeopleClub. If there was one theme throughout his talk, it was this:
“Creative skills might get you clients,
but systems turn you into a business.”
Richard walked attendees through the real shift needed to evolve from a one-person freelancer into someone who can build a creative business. This included:
Optimizing Client Workflows & Stakeholder Management
Structure your workflow by identifying all collaborators and stakeholders. Consider project complexity and confidentiality, especially when dealing with multi-branch organizations or diverse decision-makers.
Strategic Pricing & Revenue Diversification
Determine when to raise your rates by evaluating your output. Scale beyond “service-only” models by expanding into physical products, webinars, digital assets, or templates to create passive income streams.
Operational Excellence through Documentation
Build a foundation for growth by documenting every process. This includes creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), professional Purchase Orders (POs), and streamlined invoicing systems.
Early Delegation to Prevent Burnout
Identify talent for both managerial and technical roles early on. When hiring, carefully assess workload distribution to ensure sustainability and long-term focus.
Market Analysis & Competitive Strategy
Break the cycle of endless, directionless projects by analyzing market demand and competition. Understanding where the market is moving allows for a clearer long-term business trajectory.
Navigating the AI Landscape
While AI can accelerate production, business owners value time over “quick fixes.” Stay competitive by being transparent about your AI integration—clearly define which parts of your process use AI and adjust your value-based pricing accordingly. We made the articles about our view on AI in the next five years and how to prevent us from being lazy.
Many creatives feel stuck in a loop of constant execution without a clear exit strategy. By focusing on systems over tasks, you move from being a “worker” to a “founder” who can navigate modern challenges like AI automation and market saturation.
2. Graphic Design Ops by Rifqi Daffa, Senior Graphic Designer at NTMY
Operational excellence for graphic designers is rarely talked about, but Rifqi Daffa, Senior Graphic Designer at NTMY, broke it down with precision.
He shared what design operations (Design Ops) look like inside a team that handles multi-brand, multi-channel projects daily. Topics included:
Strategic Briefing & Software Selection
Deep-dive into client briefs to ensure seamless execution. Maximize productivity by selecting design software based on specific project efficiency rather than habit.
Multi-Brand Visual Consistency
Implement systems to maintain brand integrity and aesthetic uniformity across dozens of assets and multi-channel campaigns.
Agile Management of Last-Minute Requests
Master the art of managing timelines and stakeholder expectations. Coordinate effectively with the execution team to handle urgent changes without disrupting the core workflow. In NTMY, you can use our Platform.
Framework-Driven Design Efficiency
Move beyond restrictive templates by using flexible design frameworks. Simplify manual and administrative tasks using automation tools and standardized file-naming conventions for faster retrieval.
Streamlined Client Communication
Develop efficient protocols for communicating revisions and feedback, ensuring clarity and reducing “back-and-forth” friction.
Sustaining Creativity in High-Volume Environments
Protect the creative spark even under heavy workloads by optimizing the “boring” operational side, allowing more mental space for innovation.
The session revealed the “invisible” behind-the-scenes workflows that are rarely taught in design school but are essential for surviving and thriving in real-world agency environments.
3. Creative Project Management by Anissa Prawira, Senior Project Manager at NTMY
If you’ve ever worked in a creative team, you know one thing:
Good project managers are superheroes.
Anissa Prawira, Senior Project Manager at NTMY, didn’t just talk about task management. She explained what creative project management truly means.
Mastering Creative Project Management
Anissa Prawira, Senior Project Manager at NTMY, reveals that project management in the creative industry is about more than just checking boxes. It is about bridging the gap between vision and execution.
Stakeholder Alignment & Expectation Management
Act as the central communication hub to align multiple stakeholders. Clear communication prevents “task collisions” and ensures all parties understand current bandwidth and project queues.
Audit-Ready Documentation
Utilize meticulous record-keeping to eliminate 90% of miscommunications. Proper tracking provides a reliable “paper trail” for projects that may be paused and resumed months later, ensuring accountability for every deliverable.
Adaptive Communication Channels
Structure workflows using tools that benefit both the creative team and the client. Flexibility is key; avoid forcing rigid platforms if they hinder the collaborative process. You can check on our platform and register account for FREE here.
Strategic Compromise for Urgent Revisions
Manage “rush” requests without creating chaos. Offer viable alternatives—such as using existing high-quality templates for tight deadlines—to balance speed with quality while maintaining realistic boundaries.
Capacity-Based Timeline Planning
Build project schedules based on actual human capacity rather than just deadlines. A sustainable workflow includes correcting errors constructively and providing team appreciation to maintain high morale.
Practical Toolkits & Frameworks
Implementation of proven planning models, communication guidelines, and standardized templates used to scale agency-level production.
Effective project management transforms a reactive team into a proactive one. By focusing on realistic capacity and transparent communication, agencies can deliver high-quality work without burning out their talent.
4. Creative Leadership by Rillies Kelviana, Senior Project Manager at Stellaris1
From Stellaris1, Rillies Kelviana presented one of the most empowering sessions of the week.
Creative leadership today isn’t about dictating ideas. It’s about building environments where great ideas can thrive.
Empowerment Over Micromanagement
Optimize role distribution without stifling autonomy. Leaders must set aside ego and ensure that age or seniority does not hinder team functionality or collaboration.
Building Trust in Multidisciplinary Teams
Establish high-performing teams by defining clear scopes of work. Clarity in individual responsibilities is the foundation of mutual trust across different creative disciplines.
Constructive Feedback Loops
Foster growth-oriented communication by removing ego from the feedback process. Practice transparent communication—learning when to say “yes” or “no” clearly—while delivering critiques that encourage improvement rather than fear.
Leading Through Unpredictability
Maintain project stability during volatile timelines by establishing solid brand guidelines before work begins. A leader’s role is to ensure consistency even when project variables change.
Energy Management & Process Optimization
Shift focus from monitoring output to managing team energy. Clearly defined workflows prevent “talent drain” and burnout when projects do not go according to plan.
The Executor-to-Leader Career Path
Effective leadership is often rooted in technical experience. Transitioning from an executor to a leader allows for “on-point” feedback and practical problem-solving based on first-hand industry knowledge. You can check what Stellaris1 can do to optimize your brand here.
Humility & Long-Term Relationship Building
Authentic leadership requires active listening and humility. Cultivating strong, long-term relationships ensures a supportive network where leaders can comfortably seek help from their teams when needed.
Leading with empathy and clarity is no longer an “extra” are the requirements for studio owners and senior creatives. By prioritizing relationship capital and operational clarity, leaders can build resilient teams that survive high-pressure environments.
5. How to Create Content When You’re Tired of Creating by Content & Writer Team at NTMY & Stellaris1
The last session felt like a warm hug for anyone who creates content regularly. Hosted by the Content & Writer Team, addressed the reality of creative exhaustion. It provided a roadmap for building resilient systems that protect your energy while maintaining high-quality output.
Identifying Burnout Triggers
Recognize the early warning signs of creative fatigue. Whether it is “soulless” writing, physical exhaustion, or a decline in quality that triggers negative client feedback, awareness is the first step to recovery.
Finding Value in Trends
Revitalize dry ideas by looking beyond the surface of viral trends. Develop the skill of extracting unique value from popular topics to make your adaptations feel fresh and purposeful.
Strategic Content Repurposing & POV
Move away from “trend-chasing” by reframing existing content through a genuine lens. Incorporate your unique Point of View (POV) or professional opinion to create authentic, original value without starting from scratch.
Data-Driven Audience Insights
Create smarter by deeply understanding audience behavior. Treat your audience as long-term stakeholders rather than just a metric; this shift in perspective reduces the pressure to produce “more” and focuses on producing “better.”
The Discipline of Consistency
Mastery lies in the ability to show up even when motivation is low. Building a dedicated “creative space” or routine helps maintain output, ensuring that content creation remains a sustainable habit rather than a sporadic burden.
Consistency is the hardest part of the creative journey, but it is made easier through systematized creativity to bring quality over quantity. By prioritizing your energy and utilizing reframing techniques, you can stay relevant without burning out.
The Content & Writer Team discussed what burnout looks like for content creators and how to build systems that protect your energy. It was the perfect session to end the week. Honest, comforting, and deeply practical.
Key Learning from Nice Talk: Creative Work Needs Systems, Not Just Talent
Across all sessions, one message kept appearing:
Systems protect creativity.
If systems give clarity, you know what to do, when to do it, and why it matters. When systems can reduce stress, you’re not guessing, rushing, or keeping everything in your head. When systems help you grow, you have the structure to take on bigger clients and more meaningful work, your collaboration is easier, and it helps you consistent to deliver the best.
Whether you’re a freelancer, designer, PM, or studio owner, strong systems aren’t optional.
They’re what separate sustainable creative careers from chaotic ones.
A Message From NicePeopleClub: Thank You for Being Part of Nice Talk!
We’re incredibly grateful for everyone who joined us this year. Hosting Nice Talk is always special, but this year felt different by getting more connected, more curious, and more committed to building creative careers that last.
We hope you left the event with:
- renewed clarity
- stronger systems
- better creative confidence
- and a community you can grow with
And yes, we’re already excited for Nice Talk Year-End Session 2026.
Holiday Break Reminder
To everyone working hard through the holidays: please rest.
NTMY will take a short break from 25 Dec 2025 to 1 Jan 2026.
We’ll return on January 2 ready to support your creative work again.
Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Don’t forget to follow us for more updates on NTMY, Stellaris1, and NicePeopleClub on Instagram.
