Episode 2 • You're Not Supposed to Love it First
Explicit
Never Been Asked That by BeTold
S1 · E2
Jun 9, 2026
02:02:04
Episode notes
He built one of the most recognizable brand universes in his city... but nobody asked him to.
Nathaniel Navratil is a designer, creative director, and equity partner at Drekker and Brewhalla in Fargo, ND. He's the hand behind the identity, the merch, the labels, and the culture that turned a hotel and brewery into a destination.
In this episode of Never Been Asked That, we get into:
- Why "follow your passion" might be the worst advice you've ever been given
- What it actually feels like to walk into a room and know you've outgrown it
- The difference between building your castle and building someone else's
- How he landed one of the most creatively ambitious projects in his city before anyone else even tried
- Why the through line across everything he's made isn't skill or strategy. It's fun.
Key moments:
- (00:00) Intro
- (00:42) Identity Before the Work
- (00:20:09) Skill Over Passion
- (00:57:29) The Work Ethic Origin Story
- (01:00:17) When Effort and Skill Weren't Enough
- (01:04:38) Misalignment & Environment
- (01:07:22) The Reset Year
- (01:28:41) The Craft Behind the "Goofy"
- (01:33:31) Alignment
- (01:37:06) The Universal Lesson
- (01:48:26) The Brewhalla Moment
Curious what you think we should have asked.
Follow Nathaniel:
https://www.instagram.com/nathanielnavratil/
https://www.instagram.com/studio.foley/