Hazel's story
A decade of building and learning to make a positive impact.
15 years in graphic & UX/UI design, 8+ years in digital marketing
LinkedIn expert and founder of YDJ™.
Before YDJ™
I'm Hazel Lee, founder of YDJ™. I've always wanted to be a successful creative myself, earning five to six figure a month working for others. But I found the corporate world was not providing me with the environment I needed to thrive.
Whenever I had some free time, I would talk to other fellow creatives either on social media or with like-minded friends, curious to find out if they faced similar career challenges. I quickly realised I was not alone...and that sparked something in me.
Launching YDJ™
Feeling motivated by the support I received from my community, I started a design blog called Your Design Juice in June 2015. As an inspirational blog for the global creative community, it also served as a platform for creatives to showcase their projects.
Me at my work desk, working hard on the YDJ launch page.
I was working as a freelance digital designer, while continuing to grow the YDJ™ platform as a side-hustle through blogging.
My learning curve
From 2017 - 2018, I was also proactively attending entrepreneurial workshops and startup related events to further develop my entrepreneurial and business skills.
That's me on the left at the GDG KL 2017 event. Volunteering, networking, learning and broadening my tech skills.
Going full-fledged
Your Design Juice has been re-branded to YDJ™, and officially became a registered business.
YDJ Marketplace
It occurred to me in late 2018 that I wanted to take YDJ™ to the next level. I launched YDJ Marketplace, an online marketplace for digital goods. Unfortunately it was a failed venture, but the experience taught me valuable lessons in business management and marketing that I carry with me to this day.
CAAD 2019
Climate Action Art & Design Fair (CAAD) was held to support local artists, and advocated for Greenpeace and climate action awareness in 2019. It was one of our most memorable community events.
Me (3rd from right) with the incredible artists who participated.
A community celebrating art
CAAD brought together artists, collectors and art lovers under one roof. Here's a glimpse of the incredible artwork and energy from the event.
See our past events
Growing my digital marketing portfolio
By 2021, I added digital marketing to my portfolio, a natural extension of the creative and entrepreneurial work I have been doing with YDJ.
Monetising YDJ™
Since founding YDJ™, it has always functioned as a social-enterprise startup, driven by purpose as much as passion. However, facing financial challenges post COVID-19, it was time to find a sustainable way to keep it going, and so we did with SEO and affiliate marketing.
At the same time, we continued to deliver showcase features and social media marketing support for fellow creatives.
YDJ Blog still going strong
Through 2024 and 2025, the YDJ Blog has over 76 pages of portfolio showcase features across 9 creative categories. From UX/UI and illustration to motion design and typography.
Visit the blogInspiring the global creative community
We remained one of the most consistent platforms for creatives seeking visibility, and better online presence.
We continue to receive submissions from artists, illustrators, graphic designers and motion designers around the world.
With 17K+ followers and a strong community, our reach kept growing year on year.
Introducing YDJ™ Showcase Pro and YDJ™ Studio Growth Marketing
YDJ™ is now more than just a portfolio showcase.
2026 marks our biggest leap yet. After years of learning what genuinely helps creatives get hired, we launched two LinkedIn marketing services built for the people we’ve always served: YDJ™ Showcase Pro for independent artists, designers and illustrators, and YDJ™ Studio Growth Marketing for design studios ready to win larger, high-value clients.
Both exist to break the same cycle; the feast and famine that holds talented creatives back and to help you build a steady, growing business doing the work you love.
Your work is still featured on the YDJ Blog, exactly as it always has been. But now it goes further. Showcase Pro puts your work in front of the right audience every month, the people genuinely ready to pay for original, authentic work. And for studios, Studio Growth Marketing turns your expertise into the visibility that attracts serious enterprise projects.
View our services