On this episode of the Encourage Mindset Podcast, host Ethan Van De Hey sits down with Kyle Mack — an independent brand identity designer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who helps small businesses, startups, and young entrepreneurs clarify their vision and build brands that reflect who they truly are. Kyle shares his journey from a failed first attempt at starting an agency during the pandemic to owning his success one step at a time.
Watch the Full Episode with Kyle Mack
Starting a Business at 19 and Failing Forward
Kyle Mack does not hide from his early failures. He tells Ethan that during the pandemic in 2020, at just 19 years old and still living with his parents, he tried to start his own agency. By his own admission, he failed terribly. He was trying to do everything at once without the experience or foundation to support it. But Kyle reframes that failure as a learning experience — one that taught him things he could not have learned any other way.
From 2020 forward, Kyle slowly built his knowledge of running a business, leading people, and understanding the intersection of creativity and strategy. That journey eventually led him to brand identity design, where he could use both the right side of his brain — creativity — and the left side — strategic thinking. He never went to a traditional agency because he did not want to end up behind a desk, though he admits with a laugh that he ended up behind one anyway. The desk just belonged to him this time.
Backtrack to Breakthrough
The concept that gives this episode its title comes directly from Kyle’s philosophy on growth. He explains to Ethan that before you can move forward with clarity, you need to look backward. The experiences, challenges, and even the failures from your past contain the building blocks for your future. Most people are so focused on where they want to go that they never take the time to understand what already happened — and how it shaped who they are.
Kyle recommends a two-step process: first, go backwards and identify the pivotal moments, skills, and lessons that have embedded themselves into your identity and your work. Second, look forward and define where you want to go. When you connect the two, you get a roadmap that is uniquely yours — not borrowed from someone else’s playbook.
Breaking Goals Into Steps When Your Brain Works Differently
Kyle is open about having ADHD and how that affects the way he approaches goal-setting and business planning. He explains that breaking big dreams down into smaller, concrete steps is essential — not just helpful, but essential. Instead of saying “I want to start a business,” he asks: what do you actually need? A strategy. A logo. A plan. And then you break each of those down further until the steps are small enough to act on today.
This practical framework resonates with Ethan, who highlights how many people get stuck in vague ambition without a real plan. Kyle’s approach acknowledges that everyone’s brain works differently, and the system you build needs to fit the way you actually think — not the way some productivity guru tells you to think.
Helping Others Clarify Their Dreams Through Brand Identity
Kyle explains to Ethan that brand identity design is about much more than logos and color palettes. His real work is helping people clarify what they stand for and what they originally set out to do. Many of his clients come to him knowing they want to build something meaningful but struggling to articulate what that looks like visually and strategically. Kyle’s job is to pull that clarity out of them and translate it into a brand that resonates.
He connects this directly to the “backtrack to breakthrough” principle — the best brands are not invented from scratch. They are discovered by looking at the founder’s story, values, and experiences, and then building something authentic around that foundation.
Why This Episode Matters
Kyle Mack’s conversation with Ethan Van De Hey is a honest look at what it takes to own your success as a young entrepreneur. If you have tried something and failed, if you are neurodivergent and struggling with traditional goal-setting advice, or if you are a small business owner trying to figure out what your brand actually stands for, Kyle’s approach — backtrack to breakthrough — gives you a framework that starts with who you already are, not who you think you should be.
Connect with the Encourage Mindset Podcast
The Encourage Mindset Podcast is hosted by Ethan Van De Hey and brings together leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performers who share their real stories and strategies for growth. Subscribe on YouTube to catch every new episode.
Related Episodes You Might Enjoy
If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these related episodes from the Encourage Mindset Podcast:
- Christian Anderson: Rock Bottom to Rise
- Matt LeBris: Turn Failure into Fuel for Success
- Dr. Lucy Johnson: Small Wins, Big Results