One More Question

Highlights from the conversation

• When you're on the client side there are so many priorities to handle other than brand building
• It's about encouraging a culture of not just being on repetition, but a culture that is about making things better and making things happen
• The important thing is to know that a lot of people on the client side aren't brand builders
• You just hope that senior leadership has enough vision, communication ability and consistency in the narrative that they're telling that everyone in the company starts thinking with a holistic mind
• As a business owner, he's like, I can't do any of that. I can't be the best marketer for my brand because I don't have the money to do that
• In an agency, you want to put a dent in the universe, you want to do something cool and breakthrough that people take notice. But when you're inside the company, you just want to survive to the next day and be a little better tomorrow 

More about Leland

Leland is a designer and business executive fascinated with incredible innovation and incredible scale. In 2008, he co-founded and led as co-chief creative officer COLLINS, the globally renowned brand firm specialized in creating incredible innovation at incredible scale. In 2016, he joined Chobani as its first chief creative officer — then became its chief brand officer — where he transformed incredible scale to do incredible innovation. Today, he is the co-founder of two startups dedicated to incredible innovation that scales incredibly: River, an interest discovery engine, and Sway, a materials science company inventing seaweed-based plastic. In 2020, the World Economic Forum elected him a Young Global Leader. He is also a Board Member of the One Club for Creativity and Advisory Board Member of NOMI Networks – a global organization dedicated to ending modern slavery.

Leland has built organizations honored as the most creative in the world: “Company of the Year” finalist (Fast Co), “In-House Agency of the Year” (Ad Age), “Design Firm of Year” (Ad Age), ”30 Most Important Design Companies" (Fast Co), "A Cult Brand" (The Gathering), “Most Innovative Company in the World” (Fast Co) x4, "50 Best Places for Innovators" (Fast Co) “Agency Creatives Would Kill to Work At” (WNW Magazine), “Agency Inventing the Future of Brand Building” (Forbes), “Brand that Matters” (Fortune), “Brands Changing the World” (Forbes). They have created “the next big design trend” (AIGA Eye on Design), produced “the future of music videos” (Forbes), influenced federal climate legislation, federal childhood nutrition policy, presidential candidate platforms, and won every major global creative award. He co-authored “The Anti-CEO Playbook,” a TED talk enjoyed by millions of people. He has won recognition as "Global 30 under 30” (Campaign), “Young Influencer” (Ad Age), “Most Influential Designers Today” (HOW Magazine), “Design Thinking Leader” (IBM), “Master of Marketing” (Assoc. of National Advertisers), “Tastemaker” (PDN Magazine), and “Designer to Watch” (Graphic Design USA).

Find Leland here: LinkedIn | Instagram

Show Notes

People:

• Milton Friedman

Companies and organisations:

• Chobani

How can you help?

There are four ways you can help us out.

1. Give us your thoughts. Rate the podcast and leave a comment.
2. Share this as far and wide as you can - tell your friends, family and colleagues about us (caveat: if you own a family business, these may all be the same people)
3. Tell us how we can create a better podcast - tell us what you liked, didn’t like, or what you’d like to hear more (or less) of
4. Tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast. Suggest someone that you think we should interview.

One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

Subscribe iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Music by: @dcuttermusic | http://www.davidcuttermusic.com



To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation

• The most successful relationships we have are the ones where the internal team have done the work to prime the key decision makers with what to expect
• That's where balance is really crucial – we can support them and give them all the ammo needed. But at the end of the day [we need] their expertise for those crucial conversations
• As there's more access to design, [maybe] not designing is going to be differentiated
• Some people just want to be part of some of the conversations along the way 
• Part of it is figuring it out along the way. You find a rhythm or your stride a little bit into the process
• There's only so much that we can do if your CEO has worked with his executive team for years. He's going to trust them way more than someone who's just come in

More about Brent

Brent Couchman is a graphic designer, creative director, and founder at Moniker, a brand design studio based in San Francisco.

Moniker works with an international team that focuses on connecting future-thinking brands to today’s challenges and communities. Clients include Coinbase, Oculus, One Medical, Coca-Cola, Google, Facebook, Sonos, Casper, and many more.

Find Brent here: Website | LinkedIn

Show Notes

People:

• Josh Higgins
• Hillary Clinton (Brand)
• Greta Thunberg
• James Sommerville
• Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum)

Companies and organisations:

• Facebook
• Oculus
• Portal
• Minute Maid
• Ethereum

How can you help?

There are four ways you can help us out.

1. Give us your thoughts. Rate the podcast and leave a comment.
2. Share this as far and wide as you can - tell your friends, family and colleagues about us (caveat: if you own a family business, these may all be the same people)
3. Tell us how we can create a better podcast - tell us what you liked, didn’t like, or what you’d like to hear more (or less) of
4. Tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast. Suggest someone that you think we should interview.

One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

Subscribe iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Music by: @dcuttermusic / http://www.davidcuttermusic.com

#welovenicework #branding #communication #purposedriven #creativity #brand innovation

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation:

• We all have the same time in the day, but some people get exponential results
• You can go on a completely different path and you can define what 'winning' is
• We believe if we stop being self-critical, we're just gonna become a sloth...which is a complete lie
• Great communities are not actually focused on communities, they're focused on a mission
• A lot of people get so focused on their benefits and features [of] their product, they forget that what people want to do is feel a particular way
• People remember moments – life is a bunch of moments. What we're trying to do as marketers is, give people these moments

More about Finnian

As a sought-after speaker, event facilitator and executive coach, Finnian has been dubbed “the Business Mystic” because of his unique ability to put consciousness into business and inspire leaders to find new levels of meaning and purpose through their creative endeavours.  This approach flowed through his term as President of the Colorado Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) - the largest and most influential community of entrepreneurs in the world. 

As an entrepreneur, Finnian built and exited two multi-million dollar companies in the financial industry.  He’s the Creator and Chief Visionary Officer of Intentionality.com. Using the Intentionality framework, Finnian guides people to find their path, get on their path, and stay on their path to wholeness.

As a lifelong learner, Finnian has degrees in maths, physics, finance, leadership, teaching and a master’s degree of science in positive psychology.  He spent 7 years in the Australian Defence Force and graduated from one of the most prestigious leadership organisations in the World, The Royal Military College of Duntroon.

Finnian's finest accomplishment to date was being featured on the popular National Geographic Documentary, Undercover Angel. This was a project where he was dropped into an underprivileged community to find out their core issues, build trust and come up with a project that would support their needs.  He funded the entire program himself and worked with community leaders to form a family education centre in Fakulteta, Bulgaria.

Above all, Finnian is a conscious being - committed to embodying Intentionality and inspiring others to do the same. Finnian travels the world spreading Intentionality on speaking tours, exploring new places and cultures and chasing powder as a ridiculously passionate skier!

Find Finnian here:

LinkedIn | Website

Show Notes

People:

• Warren Rustand
• Chris Do

Companies and organisations:

• EO (Entrepreneurs Organization)

How can you help?

There are four ways you can help us out.

1. Give us your thoughts. Rate the podcast and leave a comment.
2. Share this as far and wide as you can - tell your friends, family and colleagues about us (caveat: if you own a family business, these may all be the same people)
3. Tell us how we can create a better podcast - tell us what you liked, didn’t like, or what you’d like to hear more (or less) of
4. Tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast. Suggest someone that you think we should interview.

One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

Subscribe iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Music by: @dcuttermusic / http://www.davidcuttermusic.com

#welovenicework #branding #communication #purposedriven #creativity #brandinnovation

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation

• They're not gonna care, and they shouldn't, because they don't need more things
• If you play it safe and you go the easy route it falls on deaf ears
• It's about the people that do it. We want to be in the right relationships with the right people. The product and all that other stuff are important, but great people build great brands and great companies, and I think that's where it starts.
• I think it takes courage to be presented with four potential brand identities in a first client presentation and take the one that's the most crazy
• A great brand has impact on the world and people and culture. It doesn't have to fundamentally make us all better humans, but it should hopefully, bring joy, happiness, connectivity to people's lives
• It's not one thing, it's so many individual moments where you have to make decisions. And you know, and all those decisions add up. And Vitamin Water is a perfect example. It's like, if you get everything right, where you treat every single moment, as an opportunity to introduce yourself to people

More about Alex

Alex Center is a Brooklyn-based designer and founder of the branding company CENTER.

Prior to launching his own studio, he spent 11 years working for the global beverage leader Coca-Cola where, as Design Director, he led the strategy and design vision for the brands vitaminwater, smartwater & Powerade. Over his career, Alex has designed packaging that has been in the hands of millions, launched multiple breakthrough brands, given talks around the world and once met rapper 50 Cent who told him “You must think you're pretty special.” He got nervous and instantly started sweating.

Today, his team at CENTER is building the next generation of icon brands partnering with companies like United Sodas of America, Heywear, Kin Euphorics, Good Light and Conbody. Alex is also a mentor with the SVA Masters in Branding program.

In his personal time he enjoys rooting for New York sports teams that wear orange & blue, eating and instagramming delicious meals and spending time with his wife Jacquelyn De Jesu and their zero kids and zero pets.

Find Alex here:

LinkedIn | Website | Instagram

Show Notes

People

• Jonathan Mildenhall 
• 50 Cent
• Brian Collins

Companies and organisations

• Black Lives Matter
• Glaceau Vitamin Water
• United Sodas of America

How can you help?

There are four ways you can help us out.

1. Give us your thoughts. Rate the podcast and leave a comment.
2. Share this as far and wide as you can - tell your friends, family and colleagues about us (caveat: if you own a family business, these may all be the same people)
3. Tell us how we can create a better podcast - tell us what you liked, didn’t like, or what you’d like to hear more (or less) of
4. Tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast. Suggest someone that you think we should interview.

One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

Subscribe iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Music by: @dcuttermusic / http://www.davidcuttermusic.com

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation:

• We have to give a shit. And our employees have to give a shit about the things we give a shit about
• Any great brand is a convergence of both functional and emotional components
• When everybody's going heavily into their data, it leaves space for a really good story
• You’re not for all. Generalisation isn't doing anybody any favours
• Be super specific about what's important to you and who you serve, because that can be a gamechanger
• I drive a lot of motivation from what I want to change, what I'm frustrated with, or angry at

More about Karin

Under 15% of global executive creative agency leaders are women — Karin Fyhrie is one of them. She confidently steers Top 50 brands, globally renowned cultural institutions, and market-leading start-ups into the future, thanks to her unconventional path. Over two decades, she’s evolved as quickly as the industry has, building a uniquely diverse perspective as expansive as the word ‘design’ has become thanks to tenures at COLLINS, IDEO, Google Creative Lab, Imaginary Forces, and even a VR residency through Stanford. With this cross-specialism insight, she comfortably transitions between product and service innovation, brand strategy, storytelling, and systemic creative direction for the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Her contributions have been recognized by D&AD, The One Club, Fast Company, Graphis, Eye Magazine, Communication Arts, AIGA, the Society of Publication Designers, Type Directors Club, and the Emmy Awards.

In her most recent position, Karin was the San Francisco Managing Partner of COLLINS, the design and strategy agency responsible for notable rebrands of Spotify, Robinhood, Dropbox, Mailchimp and the San Francisco Symphony. While leading the west coast office, COLLINS was (twice) consecutively named “Design Agency of the Year” by Ad Age (2019-2020) as well as one of the 50 Places Creative People Want to Work Next by Working Not Working. In 2020, she helped launch COLLINS’ first-ever editorial site, IDEAS, while simultaneously spearheading the company’s internal DEI initiatives; helping to triple the impact of its internship program committed to creatively-inclined students of colour.

As of 2021, Karin launched her own studio, Sovereign Objects, a brand and innovation firm advancing the arts, culture, and science. Partnerships focus on ways that reimagine economic and/or organizational models to redistribute power and prosperity. Current clients include everything from stealth stage start-ups in the creator economy to high-impact non-profits like the Obama Foundation. On the side, she also consults through Mixing Board, a think tank  of brand and communications leaders that provide their expertise, mentorship and help with building teams to organizations looking for advice. Mixing Board community members are CMOs, heads of comms, seasoned brand strategists, social and content experts, community builders, researchers, speechwriters and policy veterans.

Find Karin here: LinkedIn | Website

Show Notes

People:

• Bailey Richardson
• Ben Crick
• Vanessa Sequeira
• Molly Hayward

Companies and organisations:

• COLLINS
• IDEO
• Bumble
• People & Company
• Miro
• B Corp

Miscellaneous:

• Ask Dr. Ruth (Documentary) 
• Gestalt Principles

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation:

• Just like brands and companies, people need to have the right mindset about what could be rather than a preservation mindset or a victim mindset
• To think less about resources and more about being resourceful is the kind of change we need to make in our heads.
• What does the world need right now? it needs more fresh, entrepreneurial thinkers who are willing to turn things upside down and change the status quo
• The people in a company are more brand builders than anything else you do
• Rather carve out deeper, more meaningful relationships with people who truly get you
• Give guardrails but fewer rules to people, and more liberation to make their own decisions

More about David

David is an experienced strategy practitioner having led significant Brand, Insight, Marketing, People, Research and Technology projects across more than 20 countries. He founded DeltaVictorBravo in September 2018 and also represents eatbigfish across Africa Middle East.

David’s prior experience is as CEO of Yellowwood, MD of Enterprise Identity Group /Brand Union, Group Head of eBusiness for De Beers and MD of Tinderbox. He has previously held positions as Chairperson of the South African Communication Design Council and The Digital Interactive Media Association and as Director of The Brand Council SA and the Joburg Ballet. He is currently an MPhil candidate in Inclusive Innovation at UCT GSB.

Find David here: LinkedIn | Website

Show Notes

People:

• Patty McCord

Companies and organisations:

• Southwest Airlines
• Edcon

Miscellaneous:

• Financial crisis of 2007–2008
• Burger King reveals a more tender side asking people to support McDonald’s
• Hertz vs. Avis advertising wars: How an ad firm made a virtue out of second place
• How Netflix Reinvented HR

How can you help?

There are four ways you can help us out.

1. Give us your thoughts. Rate the podcast and leave a comment.
2. Share this as far and wide as you can - tell your friends, family and colleagues about us (caveat: if you own a family business, these may all be the same people)
3. Tell us how we can create a better podcast - tell us what you liked, didn’t like, or what you’d like to hear more (or less) of
4. Tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast. Suggest someone that you think we should interview.

One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

Subscribe iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Music by: @dcuttermusic / http://www.davidcuttermusic.com

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation:

• A rebrand doesn't have to be extreme. It could be the right decision to just modernise or refresh
• We want to give up and coming businesses a fighting chance
• No one cared about them. They were visual spam all over the city, no one engaged with them. The whole point of them was to inform the public, but no one cared
• Brand identity really can just attract people in that front door. A lot of those small or mid-sized growing organisations lack that
• A lot of organisations can't see the obvious right in front of them. And creatives, especially at an agency, have the gift of being an outsider. We can bring a fresh, unique perspective
• When clients rebrand, they often forget the context out of which they came [...] When you're tone-deaf to where you've come from, it can be quite dangerous from a relationship perspective

More about Blake 

Blake is the Creative Director and Cofounder of Matchstic, an Atlanta-based brand identity firm. For nearly 20 years, he’s focused on helping growing companies level up their brand identity by being radically relevant.

Blake has led brand launches for over 200 projects, spanning a broad range of clients, from global heavy-hitters to ambitious startups poised for growth. The most notable of which include, Chick-fil-A, Publix, Mailchimp, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Spanx, International Justice Mission and the City of Atlanta. His work has been featured in Fast Company, City Lab, and Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler, and has received recognition in Graphis, Communication Arts, and Brand New.

Blake extends his creative vision into thought leadership, having taken the stage to speak on brand identity best practices and creative courage at DesignThinkers Toronto, AIGA-Atlanta, HOW Conference, Plywood People, and MODA.

In addition to co-leading Matchstic, Blake organizes the Atlanta chapter of CreativeMornings, a free monthly lecture series for the creative community. With more than 400 attendees each month, the Atlanta CreativeMornings chapter is the country’s largest.

His podcast, The Creative Rising, features conversations with creative professionals and industry leaders who share their perspective on career, courage and creative leadership.

Find Blake here:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Show Notes

People:

• Paul Rand

Companies and organisations:

• City of Atlanta
• SunTrust / Truist
• GAP
• Warner Brothers

Miscellaneous:

• A Change Of Brand (Podcast)

How can you help?

There are four ways you can help us out.

1. Give us your thoughts. Rate the podcast and leave a comment.
2. Share this as far and wide as you can - tell your friends, family and colleagues about us (caveat: if you own a family business, these may all be the same people)
3. Tell us how we can create a better podcast - tell us what you liked, didn’t like, or what you’d like to hear more (or less) of
4. Tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast. Suggest someone that you think we should interview.

One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

Subscribe iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Music by: @dcuttermusic / http://www.davidcuttermusic.com

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation:

• I like the idea that a couple moves from me help fuck with the people who had 100 moves to make
• Man, I'm just going to have fun with this. I'm not going to worry about what is and isn't the right thing to you know, to get me into the cool room. I'm just gonna do it
• If you're just starting out, it's about knowing how to play the deck of cards, when to play them, how to enjoy them, and how to make this stuff fun
• You look at a brand, you want to trust it, and you want to believe in it. And you don't want them to let you down. If they make lots of profit, a little profit, I don't really care. This helps me make my life better.
• Brands can just be decent humans, and companies can be decent humans and they can just treat humans the way they want to be treated. That makes for a better world,  a better experience, more loyal customers, and, in the long run, more money
• Slow and steady wins the race, and also feeds the soul

More about Aaron 

Bred from the loins of the proud Midwest, this little fucker was squeezed out in Detroit, in the year 1973 to the proud parents of Jim and Lauren Draplin. Growing up on a steady stream of Lego, Star Wars, family trips, little sisters, summer beach fun, stitches, fall foliage, drawing, skateboarding and snowboarding, at 19 he moved west to Bend, Oregon to hit jumps “Out West.” His career started with a snowboard graphic for Solid snowboards and took off like wildfire soon after.

In April 2000, much to the chagrin of his proud Midwestern roots, he accepted an ill-fated art director position with SNOWBOARDER magazine. He won “Art Director of the Year” for Primedia 2000, beating out such titles as Gun Dog, Cat Fancy and Teen. No other awards were bestowed in this period, and like he gives a rat’s ass.

Thankfully, in April 2002, the Cinco Design Office of Portland, Oregon called up and offered a Senior Designer gig which he instantly accepted and rolled up his sleeves to work on the Gravis, Helly Hansen and Nixon accounts.

The Draplin Design Co. finally stepped out on its own four hairy feet in the fall of 2004. All these years, he’s proud to report that he’s managed to “keep everything out of the red.” He rolls up his sleeves for Coal Headwear, Cobra Dogs, Nixon Watches, Bernie Sanders, Patagonia, Target, Chris Stapleton, NASA/JPL, John Hodgman, Ford Motor Company, Woolrich and even the Obama Administration, if you can believe that.

He’s been fiercely independent since 2004, and isn’t going back anytime soon. He lives and works out of a backyard shop in an undisclosed location on the mean streets of Portland, Oregon.

Find Aaron here:

Website | LinkedIn

Show notes

People:

• AOC

Companies and organisations:

• Cobra Dogs
• Field Notes
• Timex
• Coal Headwear
• Union Binding
• Target
• Walmart

How can you help?

There are four ways you can help us out.

1. Give us your thoughts. Rate the podcast and leave a comment.
2. Share this as far and wide as you can - tell your friends, family and colleagues about us (caveat: if you own a family business, these may all be the same people)
3. Tell us how we can create a better podcast - tell us what you liked, didn’t like, or what you’d like to hear more (or less) of
4. Tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast. Suggest someone that you think we should interview.

One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

Subscribe iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Music by: @dcuttermusic / http://www.davidcuttermusic.com

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation:

• You're lucky if you find a name or concept that upsets a certain number of people
• We did a lot of work to ensure that our customers thought that we hung the moon. And the advantage of that [was] our fans sold for twice what anybody else's did
• We talked to every single customer that we had — 10s of thousands of people over a period of years — to see how we could make the experience better
• The product is almost secondary to the experience. The product is your ticket to entry. The experience of receiving the product, buying the product is what people ultimately take away — that’s where your brand comes to life.
• Prospective customers would call us, and we would answer HVLS fan company and there would be a pause...they'd say, are you those guys that make those big ass fans? 
• The majority of what we got in payment was for the brand, because, I mean — we made money, but honestly, we did not make that much money.

More about Carey

A career entrepreneur, Carey Smith founded Big Ass Fans in 1999 and served as its CEO, or Chief Big Ass as he preferred, for 18 years. While other companies made and lost their fortunes, Carey’s contrarian business practices and relentless pursuit of new markets and high-quality products led to sustained, rapid growth. By 2017, Carey had grown the fan and light manufacturer to nearly $300 million in annual revenue and more than a thousand employees. And he’d done it without any outside investors. Ready for a new challenge, he sold Big Ass Fans for $500 million. The company’s stock appreciation rights program paid out $50 million to more than 100 loyal employees who shared Carey’s work ethic with 15 becoming overnight millionaires. Following the sale, Carey founded Unorthodox Ventures, his Austin-based twist on the business incubator that seeks to provide everything investment firms lacked when they approached him near daily at Big Ass Fans. Carey’s team consists of experts who help founders become serial entrepreneurs by providing support for everything from engineering and marketing to customer service and logistics.

Find Carey here:

Website | LinkedIn

Show Notes

Companies & Organisations

• Big Ass Fans
• Unorthodox Ventures
• Tushy
• Awkward Essentials

To listen to previous episodes go to https://nwrk.co/omq.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends.

Highlights from the conversation:

"Design is not what we make. Design is what we make possible for others."

"Craft is just consideration of every detail. And scale is often about finding efficiencies. And those two notions are kind of at odds with each other."

"Craft at scale is the same as craft anywhere else. It's just trying to bring intentionality and consideration to every decision."

"We feel the tension between good business and good design constantly. Good design is so often a factor of time."

"It's critical to have the leadership team in the room because the more understanding you build, the more likely you are to build something that fits the problem."

"I don't believe in the idea that you need to find a compromise, because I think compromise implies that both sides of the equation gave up on something to meet in the middle."

More about Ben 

Originally from Australia, Ben relocated to the United States eight years ago in pursuit of a specific vision for branding — to bring the creative quality and craft usually reserved for small practices to projects and clients of intimidating scale and complexity. He believes that at the heart of all good design is an equal marriage of concept and craft. A provocative and insightful idea, brought to life with art and finesse. 

His portfolio spans a diverse range of brands, from luxury companies to global giants including Spotify, Instagram, and Coca-Cola — garnering particular recognition for his development for uncommonly compelling, far-reaching, systemic identities. The resulting work has been internationally recognized by D&AD, Graphis, Cannes, AGDA, Communication Arts, the Type Directors Club, The One Club for Creativity, the ADC, Print Magazine, and FPO — among others. Designweek named his work for Spotify as some of the most globally defining to date. In 2019 Fast Co named the Mailchimp rebrand one of the best pieces of design in 2019. Just recently he launched a provocative evolution for investment app Robinhood, which has (so far) received a warm reception on Twitter.

Ben moved to San Francisco in 2018 as Creative Director of the COLLINS SF office and has begrudgingly accepted that hiking is now a part of his life.

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Show Notes

People:

• Brian Collins
• Leland Maschmeyer
• Christian Widlic
• Kris Wong

Companies and organisations:

• COLLINS
• Spotify
• Mailchimp
• Robinhood
• Pixar
• MoMA

Miscellaneous:

• Gen Z

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One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

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