Scratch Entrepreneur

Standing on the edge of a new venture as a budding entrepreneur is equally exhilarating and bone chilling.  To truly do this you have to strap into the harness of friends and family that believe in you, lean out over the abyss that is no longer having a salary or benefits, and jump.  Think about the moment you did that.  What job did you leave?  Have long did it take before you felt confident that you’d be able to pay the next mortgage payment?  Those first years are hard and tons of people fail.

But our guest today didn’t.  Not the first time or the second.  Johnathan Grzybowski, owner of Penji Graphic Design, is on the show today to share his story, his insights into attracting your first 200 customers, and how the get the best work out of your designers.  We’re glad you joined us.

We’re glad you joined us.

Episode topics include:

• What sparked Johnathan to start his own business (8:00)
• What is Penji? (11:45)
• Building a base of clients (13:00)
• Going from un-scaleable to scaleable (18:30)
• Finding the ideal client (21:00)
• Connecting with a Graphic Designer (25:00)
• Communicating with a Designer to get the results you want (27:00)
• How & Why does Penji offer unlimited graphic design at one flat monthly rate (29:00)
• Where’s Jonathan in 5 years? (33:45)

Mentioned in the episode:

• Penji

Special thanks to Johnathan Grzybowski for sharing the Penji story with us

Contributors to this episode include:

• Host - Jeremy Goodrich
• Music - Mark Vinten
• Editing - Christopher Lang

If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now: 

• SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts 
• While your there, please REVIEW the show 
• SHARE with friends
• Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group

Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire.

Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.

Need Shine?

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Today's episode starts a new series of one air coaching session between business owners and executive coach David Quick.  We start with ourselves, Jeremy & McKenzie Goodrich owners of Shine Insurance.  Our crossroads is How Do We Strategically Scale?  

The Crossroads episodes of Scratch Entrepreneur are all about solving a specific point of growth for our guest.  David and Jeremy ask thoughtful questions for the first half of the show.  Their goal is to get at the heart of the factors that affect this point of growth.  The second half of the show is all about solutions.  David will offer three next steps and the outcomes that he sees from taking them.

We’re glad you joined us!

Don’t’ forget to listen to the after show recorded just for our Patreon community: JOIN HERE

 

This episode’s big question: How to scale your business?

Episode topics include:

• Introduction to the Crossroads format and David Quick (00:45)
• Shine Insurance, who are they and what to they do? (4:00)
• Mindset for hitting expectations (7:30)
• What does thriving mean to Shine (9:20)
• Where is Shine not thriving? (12:15)
• What Jeremy and McKenzie enjoy about their roles at Shine (17:15)
• Challenges and concerns of bringing on employees (21:30)
• Who’s the ideal candidate? (29:20)
• The Hiring Process (36:30)

  Mentioned in the episode:

  • Shine Insurance
  • Helping Bulls

  Special thanks to Jeremy and McKinzie for being willing to pull back the curtains and share this business crossroads.

  And, of course, a huge thank you to David Quick for offering his time and expertise. You can find David and many of his resources at HELPINGBULLS.COM

   

  Contributors to this episode include:

  • Host - Jeremy Goodrich
  • Co-Host – David Quick
  • Music - Mark Vinten
  • Editing - Christopher Lang

  If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now: 

  • SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts 
  • While your there, please REVIEW the show 
  • SHARE with friends
  • Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group

    Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire.

    Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.

 

Need Shine?

More great stories & information at:

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Simone & Malcolm Collins are venture capitalists, marketing gurus, entrepreneurs, and authors.  They're on a personal and professional journey towards the perfect iteration of themselves.  We talk about that, their opinion about where most start up pitches go wrong, and why they feel Latin America is poised for big wins.

We’re glad you joined us.

Episode topics include:

• How Malcolm proposed (1:50)
• Build a business in developing countries (7:45)
• Presenting your business to investors (9:30)
• What’s a pragmatist? (14:00)
• The idealogical tree (22:30)
• How do you want people to see you? (24:00)
• Where will Simone and Malcolm be in 5 years? (26:45)

Mentioned in the episode:

• Collins Family Ventures
• Travelmax
• The Pragmatist’s Guide to Life

 

Special thanks to Simone and Malcolm for taking the time to share the Pragmatist Guide to Life story with us

 

Contributors to this episode include:

• Host - Jeremy Goodrich
• Music - Mark Vinten
• Editing - Christopher Lang

If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now: 

• SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts 
• While your there, please REVIEW the show 
• SHARE with friends
• Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group

Need Shine?

More great stories & information at:

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Every entrepreneur who’s every read a business book has heard you need to exude confidence, never give up, work hard, use this magical system that some dude with a shabby website invented and will happily share with you for $1997.  Everyone wants to tell you how it works.  But what they’re usually telling you is simply how it worked for them.  Owning a business isn’t magic.  It’s collecting the right ideas, setting the right system, your system, and putting yourself in as many right places at right times as you can.  You don’t actually need to be anything but the best version of yourself.

Today’s guest is doing that. Her way and on her terms.  She’s succeeding at something that many people have found to be one of the smartest ways to make money in the world.  Investing in real estate.  No, real estate isn’t perfect.  No investment strategy is.  But a smart investor with a careful strategy can make good money on what is arguable one of the safer places to put your money.

Whitney Nicely built her portfolio from her first $1500 purchase to her current 1.5 million dollar portfolio.  In the real estate world that’s doesn’t mean she’s throwing money out the windows of her helicopter.  It means she’s making a solid respectable living doing something the every one of our listeners could decide to do today.

In this episode Whitney shares her story and a few of her secrets. 

We’re glad you joined us.

Episode topics include:

• How Whitney got in to Real Estate (4:20)
• Tips for beginners (10:15)
• Make 3 offers (12:10)
• Real Estate is like dating (15:00)
• Tips for seasoned investors (17:15)
• Whitney’s goals (18:50)
• Should you have an LLC? (22:18)
• Whitney’s inspiration for becoming a coach (25:00)
• Where’s Whitney in 5 years? (29:45)

 

Mentioned in the Episode:

• First Deal Done Fast
• FDDF PLUS
• Whitney’s Live Events FDDF LIVE

Special thanks to Whitney Nicely for taking the time to share her investment property secrets with us

Contributors to this episode include:

• Host - Jeremy Goodrich
• Music - Mark Vinten
• Editing - Christopher Lang

If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now: 

• SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts 
• While your there, please REVIEW the show 
• SHARE with friends
• Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group

Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire.

Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.

 

Need Shine?

More great stories & information at:

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Have you ever bought a house? I remember the first time I did. It was a really beat up old bungalow with great old bones. I fell in love immediately even though I probably shouldn’t have. The one thing I didn’t do, that I really should have, is hire a realtor. They probably would have noted that the basement was leaky and flooded every time it rained, or that the bathroom was actually just an old back porch with a shower plopped in it, or that we were paying way too much for the work we were going to have to do. I didn’t hire a realtor because, well, I wasn’t very smart about it.

Our guest today would have been the perfect guy to help. He is a realtor who's helped people just like me buy houses, sell houses, flip houses, and even rent houses. In the world of real estate, he’s done it all. Along the way he’s been growing a community of raving fans. Like most realtors, he started by joining a realty group. You’ve probably heard the names FC Tucker, Berkshire Hathaway, RE Max, and on and on. These are engines that a new realtor can join and have access to help.

But Donald Griffin eventually got the entrepreneurial itch. He decided he wanted control and the ability to carve his own path. So he he jumped out on his own and started Griffin Realty. You’ll hear that story and his insights into real estate, owning a business, and everything in between.

We’re glad you joined us.

Episode topics include:

• Outsourcing what you’re not good at
• What’s OCHA?
• Advertising
• Strange things Donald has seen showing homes
• Top tips for showing your home
• Being yourself in your brand
• How Donald built an amazing team

Mentioned in the episode:

• Griffin Realty
• Patagonia
• David Quick

Special thanks to Donald Griffin for taking the time to share the Griffin Realty story with us Contributors to this episode include:

• Host - Jeremy Goodrich
• Music - Mark Vinten
• Editing - Christopher Lang

If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now: 

• SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts 
• While your there, please REVIEW the show 
• SHARE with friends
• Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group

Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire.

Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.

 

Need Shine?

More great stories & information at:

Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

 

There are a lot of terms that could define entrepreneurship: Risky, busy, confusing, overwhelming, fun, inspiring, and on and on. Starting and growing your own business is one of the most challenging adventures a person can go on. But there’s another word used a lot to describe owning a business and that’s lonely. So many entrepreneurs describe moments of isolation. Maybe it’s physical isolation, especially early on but more often, the isolation is mental. The buck stops with you. And that means every idea, every decision ultimately falls on your lap. Your left to ponder not only the future but also the past. Maybe there’s an entrepreneur out there who’s got it all figured out but most of us, we’re obsessed about decisions, paths, and outcomes. Each tiny moment swirls inside our head. What’s right, what’s wrong, where should the money go and where did the money go. At first we’re constantly sharing every thought and idea with friends and family. But one subtle cue after another teach us to stop talking about it all the time. These people love us but they don’t really understand. So we recess, into ourselves and, well, feel kind of lonely. This is why smart business owners find people to talk with, to bounce ideas off of, that they trust to listen and more importantly, to provide a reflection from the real world of what’s actually going on. Take this podcast, Scratch Entrepreneur. I think it’s cool, of course, or I wouldn’t do it. I obsess about it. How to structure interviews, music, hosting, microphones, everything. But to be honest, I’m not totally sure what’s good and what isn’t. It’s a lonely feeling to think you’re doing something great and at the same time have no idea. I clearly need to reach out and find a community of trusted advisors. Today’s guest has built a business around solving this issue. He helps bulls thrive in china shops. He’ll explain that a little later on but the essence of David Quick’s business is to remove that isolation from the equation. To provide a coach, a mentor, a mirror reflecting the perspective from outside. As it turns out, he’s been playing that role since some kid asked him in middle school to help play a middle c. This interview is peppered with life lesson and advice on business ownership. David has seen it all, and he has an unusual ability to break life lessons into simple memorable anecdotes that will make you a better business owner and a better person. So strap in for the stories and advice of David Quick. What were formative moments that made you who you are?

David was a great saxophone player as a kid. As he got into high school younger kids would ask him to teach them how to play. So he would. He learned at that point that teaching and coaching were things he loved.

So how did you end up at the highest levels of corporate America?

That road traveled through the Navy. David spent over a decade as a Naval officer and he attributes much of his adult foundation to that. When he finally left the Navy he really had no idea what to do. There was an opportunity wselling laboratory equipment, so he took it. The life lesson there was learn the lingo, look for a guide, and work hard.

As soon as David got planted in the laboratory sales world he started climbing ladders. He buzzed through companies like Miles Laboratories that became Bahr Laboratories. He mastered the sales process, took on leadership roles, and generally was always moving up to the next thing. Then he started getting hired to grow businesses.

Later in his career he landed at Roach Laboratories involved in innovative projects that essentially gave David to opportunity to spend company money to start businesses under the umbrella of Roach Diagnostics. From there he dug into the venture

What are the core questions you ask new clients?

• What does Thriving mean?
• Who do you wanna be?
• What do you wanna do?
• What do you wanna have?

David’s experience with his coach finding the best way to thrive

You have the herd you deserve Do you have the people in the right seats

What’s the foundation every business needs?

Vision – This is all about the picture that the founder has for the business. What does it mean to Thrive? Core Values – Who are our model citizens? Who are the people we want to clone? What are the characteristics associated with that?Expectation – Are you the New England Patriots or the Cleveland Browns. Engagement - How are the three above pieces integrated into everyday life?

Special thanks to David Quick for taking the time to share the Helping Bulls story with us

Mentioned in the episode: • Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati • Miles Laboratories www.bayer.com • Bayer Laboratories • Wall Street Journal  • J&J Laboratories  • Roche Diagnostics • Mastermind  • Culture Index  • New England Patriots  • Cleveland Browns • Chicago Cubs  • Theo Epstein  • Joe Madden  • Music by Mark Vinten

The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich. The music is by my high school buddy Mark Vinten. Every morning he would swing by and pick me up for school. Mark’s school taxi was one of my favorite vehicles ever a 1980 Volkswagon Vanagon poptop.

If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now. First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them. While you’re there, please give the show a review. We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire.

Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.

 

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Our guest today is a hero in the Bloomington, Indiana community of artists.  Armored with her hand crafted leather notebooks, she started by venturing out and attempting to make a living as an artist.  As so many heroes do, she experienced perils, hardship, and moments of doubt.  Then she realized that she should band together a collaborative community of artists.  Ultimately, she started a brick and mortar store bringing together all of their work into one location.  Talia Halliday owner of Gather Shoppe, a retail art store in downtown Bloomington Indiana, is a purveyor of art and crafts.  She’s a leader who has rallied every artist together in a epic battle of art versus evil.  And she set down her sword to take a quick moment and tell her story on this episode of Scratch.

Special thanks to Talia Halliday for taking the time to share the Gather story with us

Mentioned in the episode:

• Conduit Press  
• Gather Shoppe 
• Bloomington Handmade Market 
• Bloomington Creatives Collective  
• Kin Folk Magazine  
• Luna Music  
• The Green Nursery  
• CFC Properties  
• Jeff Mease 
• The Secret  
• Bad Knees Tees  
• Tactile Melod­­ies  
• Gather Stories Podcast  
• Music by Mark Vinten  

If you own a business, it reflects you, whether you mean for it to or not. Every system, every product, every experience, has you embedded in it.  Any business owner that isn’t comfortable with that should run for the hills.  The “owning a business is like having a child” metaphor may be over used but there is, of course, some truth to it.  The things we build reflect us. But building a healthy profitable business evolves quickly beyond the parenting metaphor.  The thing about parenting is we’re mostly doing it ourselves.  Our tragic missteps and long sought after successes are mostly hidden and only become exposed years later as our kids grow up. The parenting analogy works as a foundation but it isn’t the house. Every business owner quickly moves from the parent figure and takes on a role closer to an architect designing the framework by which success will be built.  But the architect hands over the design and is done, that’s it.  So maybe that’s wrong.  It’s more like the Orchestra conductor, masterfully melding all of the pieces into one moving presentation.  But the conductor is handed the Symphony.  The road map is already there.  Most of us never have that and probably wouldn’t follow it if we did. The reality is that no analogy actually works quite right because owning a business is way more complicated than anyone wants to admit.  We are the parents, and the architect, and the conductor, We’ll probably spend time as the secretary, the banker, the back hoe operator, and everything in between as well.   As we learn to navigate all of those hats little pieces of ourselves become the fingerprint.  Even as we train employees or hire contractors, we build a story.  Our brand ultimately will be a reflection of our self.  The best businesses look in the mirror and, at least most of the time, they’re proud of what they see. Our guest today may not attract to a whole lot of mirrors.  He’s more comfortable in a world of flying sparks and heavy sheets of metal.  His love for building started as a kid and grew through building low rider cars and motorcycles in the DIY Punk scene.  Josh Smith, own of Clutch Fabrication talks growing up, why he loves metal, and how he's grow up as a business owner. We’re glad you joined us. Here are some highlights: What was Josh’s childhood like?

Josh grew up in the woods of Green county Indiana.  His dad built their rustic cabin and was constantly adding on or working on it.  His mom was an artist working in stained glass.  So Josh had a combination of creativity and building going on around him a lot.

How did Clutch Fabrication start?

Josh was into working on cars and motorcycles already.  Then a chance meeting got him connected with a Blacksmith in town.  It just built from there.  He worked for the blacksmith, then for another metal shop, and he finally decided to go out on his own.

What does he love about metal?

He just loves taking something that’s impossible to move and being able to heat it and manipulate it.  He sees the combination of building and creativity ­­­in the medium and appreciates being able to dabble­­ in both.

Does Josh enjoy the more artistic projects or ones with specific requirements?

Both have their pros and cons.  Josh loves systems and efficiency.  That’s kind of weird because every project Clutch does is different but he definitely enjoys the jobs where he can build in efficiencies.  But he loves the creative stuff too.  When he builds furniture there’s a lot more freedom and he sees the process and the outcome in a more artistic way.

What made Josh such a good problem solver?

Josh hasn’t been diagnosed, but he feels he’s probably dyslexic.  He’s been dealing with this since he was a kid and would always be finding ways to work around his struggles with reading.  Having to constantly navigate the issue as a school kid set him up to be able to find solutions quickly

What are some of the struggles Josh has experienced as a business owner?

Really it’s been the pressure of his business growing.  Employee turn over, jobs stacked on top of each other, and tough jobs environments have definitely made him sweat.

What are some of his favorite moments?

Josh loves to step back and just appreciate Clutch Fabrictaion and were it is.  He loves the people too.  Connecting with people is his favorite part.­­­

What does Josh love about owning a business that he didn’t think he would?

Really it’s the nerdy planning and organizing stuff.  Building a business plan, analyzing statistics, evolving the employee benefits plan, and things like that.  Josh loved the metal work at first and still does but now he loves the higher level elements of owning a business as well.

Where does Josh see Clutch Fabrication in 5 years?

Really it’s about slow growth.  He’s not out to make a million dollars.  He wants to continue doing good work and growing a healthy business.

Special thanks to Josh Smith for taking the time to share the Clutch Fabrication story with us.

The show was hosted, produced & edited by Jeremy Goodrich.

The music is by Mark Vinten.

If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next.

Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Cardinal Spirits
• Loren Wood Builders
• ISBDC – Indiana Small Business Development Corporation
• Local First
• Angela Parker attorney
• Patagonia
• Yvon Chouinard
• Music by Mark Vinten

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There are some jobs it seems like no one would ever want. Who wants to pump a septic tank, why on earth would you ever work in a restaurant dish tank, who in the world would ever deal with dead people?  Us humans are infatuated with rationalizing our place in the world by comparing it with those who have it worse. But the concept of “those who have it worse” may just be an invention, a tool to help us look in the mirror and make sense of it all.  Yes, of course there are people who truly have it worse than you and there are people who have it better than you too.  But the scale is based on your concept of how worse and better are defined.  The person you think has it worse may actually be a lot happier than you think.  And the person who has it better, I mean really, what does that even mean?  Are we talking money, happiness, looks, spirituality? Our guest today may be someone you think has it worse than you.  Maybe you’ll feel she has it better.  But I hope, after hearing her story, you’ll decide the whole premise of better and worse is ultimately misguided. Here’s the thing, Esmerelda Kent deals in death and dying. For the past 20 years she’s been a pioneer in the concept of Green funerals.  She’s fought the status quo and the billion dollar funeral industry while one by one walking families of all shapes and sizes through the loss of a loved one.  She has revolutionized this life transition by taking it back to its roots.  Now she focuses on funeral shrouds, beautiful ornamented fabric made to replace the metal containers were so accustomed to seeing. If your anything like me, that introduction brought to surface feelings.  Fuzzy feelings, uncomfortable feelings, places we don’t generally go.  And this episode, it might not be right for you.  Maybe it’s better to listen to without kids around or when your in the right mental place.  But I hope the subject matter doesn’t stop you.  Esmerelda has a fascinating story to tell.  Her journey and the insights she’s gleaned are worth it.  And sometimes, going there is exactly what we all really need. We’re glad you joined us. Here are some highlights: What was her childhood like? (3:15)

Esmerelda grew up in Los Angeles in the 1950’s.  She lived in a Hollywood neighborhood surrounded by the working class of the movie industry.  As a child, she was creative and attracted to morbidity and religion.  She loved to design clothes for her paper dolls and have elaborate funeral processions for anything that died.  Even though her parents we agnostic, she insisted on going to Lutheran church.  When that start to bore her she switched to the cathedrals and traditions of Catholicism.

How did these passions evolve as she grew up? (11:30)

Esmerelda was a teenager in the late sixties.  She loved the music, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, they all would perform close to where she lived.  She was experimenting with LSD and soaking in the community that became known as hippies.  The Vietnam war was talking many of her male friends and many came home in a casket.  It was the first real tragedy she'd experienced.

She had two children by the time she was 21 and the American culture around birth was her first taste of what would evolve into the business she has now.  Birth was a sterile event, experienced in hospitals without your loved ones close.  Esmeralda opted for home birth and a group of women learned the art of midwifery and helped each other.  She was seeing that both birth and death in America were handled in an unnatural and even inhumane way.

How did you she decide to start advocating for Green Burials? (14:05)

Esmerelda was a singer for years and then became a costume designer on Hollywood sets.  In the 1980’s, the aids crisis hit.  Many of her friends were gay men. A community among the hardest hit by the epidemic.  Many of her friends died and it became her second experience watching her friends handle death and funerals.  They had very limited choices and she watched as they were forced into ceremonies, expenses, and traditions that served the funeral industry more than the family.

All of these pieces: her interest in spirituality, her creativity, the Vietnam war, and the AIDS epidemic followed her into the year 2000 when her mother was dying.  When the phone call came, she grabbed a huge piece of fabric, some candles, and incense and flew from San Francisco to her mother’s Kansas home.  Esmeralda walked through that death experience and saw that, just like the birthing process, the industry wanted her to handle it a certain way.

After that, She saw the first episodes of the HBO TV series Six Feet Under.  In the show, a small funeral business tries to keep afloat amidst the ever present pressure of a large corporate mega company.

Esmerelda decided it was time.  She found a cemetery owner who was open to the idea of green funerals and she took it from there.

What are some different approaches to funerals? (29:40)

There are so many!  Chinese culture tends towards expensive copper vaults around the coffin.  She attended a Samoan funeral procession where the men, wearing suits cut off as shorts, played tubas while the women screamed, cried, and lamented.  She loves African American funerals where attendees dress to the nines and sing with an unmatched passion and soul.

The most anesthetic culture tends to be white Americans who exhibit a stoicism that Esmerelda has never really understood.

Are there people who deal with death better than others? (44:30)

It’s all about attachment.  The better the dying and the survivor can come to terms with the change the more healthy the experience.  This is often about work done years and years before the actual death. But the ceremony can have a lasting effect on attachment and the act of both sides letting go.

What advice does Esmerelda have for us about death? (48:30)

1. It’s important to address the idea today. Make a connection with the brevity of life.  For Esmerelda, she does this through Buddhism.  Everyone has their own path but the better a grasp we have to more fulfilling life we live and the more peace we have in the end.
2. Do your family a favor and create a plan now.  Download the Before I Go You Should Know booklet, complete it and share its location with your family.

 

Special thanks to Esmerelda Kent for taking the time to share the Kinkaraco story with us.

The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich.

The music is by my high school buddy Mark VInten.

If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next.

Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.

 

Mentioned in the episode:

• Hollywood in the 1950’s 
• Mary Baker Eddy 
• Science of Mind
• The Beatles
• The Rolling Stones
• The Tibetan Book of the Dead 
• Siddhartha
• Allan Watts
• Six Feet Under HBO Series 
• Hollywood Memorial

• Living Meaningfully Dying Joyfully
• Before I Go You Should Know Booklet
• Music by Mark Vinten

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Today’s guests are world renowned in the field of Graphic Design. They’ve worked for some of the biggest design agencies, advised some of the best companies, studied under legends in their field, spoken in front of huge audiences, and built a following of other graphic designers.  They themselves have now become a powerhouse couple in their field.  Armin Vit & Bryony Gomez-Palacio, owners of the graphic design firm Under Consideration, share their story. We’re glad you joined us.

Here's an overview:

What makes good graphic design? (3:15)

It depends on the business, the ideal client, and ultimately what someone is trying to say.  There’s no magically answer and, at the same time, there is a magic to the result.  A good graphic designer can use the tools they have to create that visual story and connect the ideal client with the brand.  It’s a collaboration

How did their childhood affect who they became? (10:15)

Bryony grew up in a family of artists and achitects so she was surrounded by creative folks and that fostered her interest.  Armin really could have cared less.  He loved video games, wrestling, and basketball.  Beyond that, everything was boring.

How did Bryony & Armin Meet? (14:05)

They were both Graphic Design students in Mexico City.  They met each other at a bar and grew their relationship from there.

So how did they end up in the United States? (16:35)

Bryony wasn’t feeling motivated by the Graphic Design community in Mexico City.  Her professors and peers lacked seriousness and she was becoming frustrated.  Bryony moved to Atlanta in search of a community motivated at the highest level.  When Armin graduated from college in Mexico City, he followed.  They ended up loving the design world north of the border and the design world loved them too.  From Atlanta, they took jobs in Chicago and ultimately ended up in New York City with some of the best jobs in the graphic design industry.

How did they start Under Consideration? (19:35)

Bryony left her job to start Under Consideration and to start a family.  She was working from home and building the client base.  When the baby was born Armin to paternity leave.  When he went back to work he was miserable.  So he left and they put all of their energy into growing their own business.

What does Under Consideration do? (22:10)

They do limited client work but the primary work they do is for other graphic designers.  They work as blog and put on an annual conference.  They’ve built a business creating initiatives for their audience of their peers.

The conference has been a great success as they’ve simply put on a great show for a very specific niche of graphic designers.

­ How do they handle failure? (31:32)

Bryony & Armin are always taking things to the next level.  The badges and bags for their conference are beautiful handmade works of art that they make each year.  Every year they try and wow their attendees.  That has also meant huge failures.  They simply have to try and try again until the final product is to their liking.  

Special thanks to Armin Vit & Bryony Gomez-Palacio for taking the time to share the Under Consideration story with us.

 

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Mentioned in the episode:

• Under Consideration
• Brand New
• Pentagram Brand & Design
• Jay Baer
• Music by Mark Vinten