When I started my design agency, Baby Giant Design Co., I literally had zero clue what I was doing… like, NONE. So, I spent some time scouring the internet for inspiration and a spark. This is when I stumbled across Lincoln Design Co., a creative agency based in Downtown Vancouver.
I was told many years ago that you need three kinds of people in your life to continue growing:
- 1 Someone you can teach
- 2 Someone on the same level as you
- 3 Someone you can learn from
When starting your own design agency or freelance career, you have a great opportunity to create something of your own. However, it is not always that easy, as we feel we have to ‘look a certain way’ and ‘act a certain way’ for clients to want to work with us.
Lincoln Design Co. emoted this unbelievably cool vibe that resonated with me and continues to impact me still to this day. They were creating work that I could only dream of doing; they stayed true to their style and were unapologetically themselves… this was everything I dreamed of becoming, so I focused on them with laser-eye precision.
Here are THREE of the biggest takeaways I learnt from Dan Janssen and the team at LDC over the years;
1 HAVING A STYLE AND VIBE IS IMPORTANT FOR CLIENTS
Clients actively seek out designers they think they can get along with! For them it is all about trust and relationship building… they don’t want to be treated as just another transaction!
LDC taught me the importance of doing the work my own way, leaning into the way I think and focusing on my own process rather than listening to what the internet said!
I don’t need the whole pie; I just need a small slither of it! Leaning into my personality and pushing the boundaries of brand identity allows me to absorb clients who want to stand out and have fun!
2 WORKING ON YOUR OWN BRAND IS ESSENTIAL
LDC taught me the importance of constantly working on my own brand and building my own assets. As a brand identity designer, selling brand identity, I have to prove that I am a trustworthy investment… the best way to do that is to practice what I preach across my own brands.
I have invested A LOT of time and money into building my brand, whether that’s asset creation, newsletters, websites, etc. I spend just as much time on my own brand as I do my clients, and this pays off big time.
Clients now pay me very good money without ever doubting my ability as I actively show them the power of brand building every day through my own business. All my design friends here – work on your own brand!!!
3 NEVER SIT STILL AND CONSTANTLY EVOLVE
We are more than the work we create, and LDC taught me the importance of diversifying and building an ecosystem that works for me when I am not working.
In addition to killer design services, they have an epic merch store, sell fonts, build zines, publish books, have a podcast, and now have entered the world of design conferences.
I urge you all to find your design superstar, follow them and absorb all the moves they make. I would not be where I am today without finding LDC and soaking up knowledge from them. Success is a process that does not happen overnight, but there are very common characteristics of success.
Watch what your favourite designers are doing. What interests you about them? What do you like about them? How much effort do they put into their own brand? How do they continuously evolve? They all leave clues that you can grab and make your own.
Above is a picture of Dan Janssen and me at Crop a few weeks ago. Dan emailed me to say he was coming to Crop to show his support and wanted to sit in on my workshop.
A decade ago, this man was a silent mentor and hero of mine; today he is a great friend and colleague, as I am now a partner at Lincoln Design Co. It’s amazing what can happen when you manifest a better life for yourself.
Whoever said “Never meet your heroes” was an idiot!
Respect to you all… keep pushing forward.
MBJ
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