Portfolio Panic: How I Stopped Hiding My "Random" Projects and Started Showcasing My Range

When Five Different Careers Live in One Portfolio

Dear reader,

Three years ago, I spent an entire weekend having what I now call "The Great Portfolio Meltdown of 2022."

I'd laid out all my work across my living room floor—brand strategies next to website designs, social media campaigns beside project management case studies, written content scattered between data visualization projects. Looking at this creative chaos, one thought consumed me: "This looks like five different people's portfolios accidentally merged in a horrible accident."

fotofrog from Getty Images Signature

My specialist friends had such clean, focused portfolios. The UX designer showcased only interface designs. The copywriter displayed only written work. Meanwhile, my portfolio looked like professional ADHD—jumping from discipline to discipline with no apparent logic.

In a moment of desperation, I almost created five different portfolios, one for each skill area. I'd be "Alexis the Designer" on Mondays, "Alexis the Strategist" on Tuesdays... you get the ridiculous picture.

Then my partner found me surrounded by printouts, colour-coding projects by discipline, and asked the question that changed everything: "Why are you trying to hide the most interesting thing about you?"

Gut punch delivered with love—the best kind.

The Portfolio Revolution

That weekend marked the beginning of my portfolio revolution. Instead of hiding my range, I decided to make it the star of the show. But this required completely reimagining what a portfolio could be.

Traditional portfolios are like specialist museums—carefully curated exhibitions of mastery in one domain. But generalist portfolios? They need to be more like well-designed department stores—showcasing range while maintaining cohesion and guiding visitors through different sections seamlessly.

The breakthrough came when I stopped organizing by skill and started organizing by story.

The Story-First Portfolio Structure

Here's the framework that transformed my "random" collection into a compelling narrative:

The Hero's Journey Projects: I lead with 3-4 case studies that showcase my full generalist value—projects where I played multiple roles or where my diverse skills directly led to breakthrough solutions. These aren't just pretty pictures; they're narratives showing how connecting different domains created exceptional results.

For example, my featured project tells how I:

• Started as a social media manager for a startup

• Identified user experience issues through social listening

• Redesigned their onboarding flow

• Created content strategy around the new experience

• Managed the implementation project

• Resulted in 60% improvement in user retention

This single case study demonstrates strategy, design, content, and project management—but more importantly, it shows how these skills interconnected to solve a real problem.

The Skill Neighborhoods: Rather than segregating skills into separate portfolios, I created "neighborhoods" within my main portfolio. Each neighborhood has a brief intro explaining how this skill area connects to my broader generalist practice.

The magic is in the transitions. Between each neighborhood, I include "connection points"—brief explanations of how these different skills inform and enhance each other.

The Evolution Timeline: I include a visual timeline showing my generalist journey. This transforms what might look like career ADD into a story of intentional skill acquisition and growth. It answers the unspoken question: "How did you end up doing all this?"

The Integration Gallery: This is my secret weapon—a section dedicated to projects that required multiple skills. These might be "smaller" projects, but they powerfully demonstrate the generalist advantage. A brand refresh that included strategy, design, and copywriting. A product launch requiring project management, content creation, and data analysis.

The Three Levels of Story

The most powerful insight was realizing my portfolio needed to tell three interconnected stories:

1. Individual Project Stories: Each case study narrates a specific challenge-solution-result journey

2. Skill Integration Story: How different capabilities combine to create unique value

3. Career Evolution Story: Why being a generalist isn't accidental but intentional

When these three levels align, "random" transforms into "remarkably versatile."

Making It Scannable (Because Busy People)

Let's be real—most people spend 30 seconds on a portfolio before deciding whether to dig deeper. So I created what I call the "30-Second Story":

• Hero Statement: One sentence positioning myself as a creative generalist

• Visual Proof: A grid showing the range of work at a glance

• Value Proposition: Three bullet points on why generalist = advantage

• Clear Navigation: Obvious paths to explore specific skills or integrated projects

If they only have 30 seconds, they leave understanding I'm intentionally multi-faceted. If they have 30 minutes, they can explore the full narrative depth.

Your Portfolio Challenge

This week, audit your current portfolio (or create one if you've been procrastinating like I did for years) through the generalist lens:

1. Identify Your Hero Projects: Which 2-3 projects best showcase your multi-faceted value? These should be prominently featured.

2. Map Your Connections: For each skill area, write one sentence about how it enhances your other capabilities. These become your transition points.

3. Craft Your Evolution Story: Why did you develop diverse skills? Make this intentional narrative visible.

4. Create Your 30-Second Story: What would someone understand about your generalist value in half a minute?

Remember: Your portfolio shouldn't apologize for your range—it should weaponize it.

Today, my "chaotic" portfolio has become my strongest business development tool. Clients hire me not despite my diverse background but because of it. They see the portfolio and think, "Finally, someone who can see the full picture."

That weekend meltdown taught me that trying to look like a specialist when you're a generalist is like forcing a river into a straight line—possible, but you lose all the interesting curves and connections that make it powerful.

Your range isn't a bug to debug. It's a feature to showcase.

Bye. For now,

Alexis