Feeling honored ❤️ 🙏 @Brandersmag issue 39 is live! 👀 Yesterday, I was presenting about "being a Graphic Designer" to our elementary school for career day. Note: the term branding is too vague for 3rd graders. 😅 Today, I'm honored to be sitting front and center on the cover of the latest Branders magazine. As a college art school student, I had no idea how my love for all things visual and creative would coalesce into a passion for branding, building a team, and serving clients. In the past 24 hours, I've relived that journey through a child's eyes, drawing in elementary school, to a business owner getting a spotlight for his perspectives. What a journey. Thanks @Brandersmag for trusting me to hold down the cover of their latest issue. cc Luis + Carolina 🙏 📌 Issue linked in the comments below. --- Huge shout-out to the other talented contributors in this issue... Scott Fuller, Steven Picanza, Grace Dawson, Alex Center, Fabricio Mancebo, Izzy Poirier, Sophia Scheibeler, and anyone else I missed. Also to my @FocusLabLLC team, whom I get to represent. It's the work that they do every week that makes our company great.

Shout out to the @poplco team for entrusting @FocusLabLLC with this big step forward in their brand. Check out the full case study here: focuslab.agency/work/popl

Another @FocusLabLLC client is being acquired post-rebrand. 19 and counting. 🔥 I love seeing these wins for our clients. One time, I was asked, "Why does it seem like all your clients go on to big acquisitions or subsequent fundraising?" My answer was, "The magic isn't us. Companies that care about brand have a big leg up on everybody else. We just help bring that to life." Sure, we're special, but without a company understanding the impact of brand, it doesn't matter.

We've opened up another Brand/UI Designer role at @FocusLabLLC – apply below.👇 We are looking for a seasoned Brand/UI Designer. Candidates must be based in the U.S. or Canada. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: focuslab.agency/careers

A throwback to the time we designed The Savannah Bananas beer can. Way before everyone in the world knew about them. 🍌 Props to the @FocusLabLLC alumni that crushed this fun little project. @lerinchase @alicjacolon @will_kes

Some client relationships are the perfect pairing of 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 + 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆. 🔥 @PhilipLakin is just that! (wait until this recording drops) Huge congrats to Phil and his team! 👏 We had the pleasure of working on their rebrand two years back. Seeing this news is exactly why @FocusLabLLC exists! 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁. When added to the mix of a great product, team, and leader, it's super fuel. In this coming episode of "The Debrief" Phil and I relive their entire project. We discuss a strategic decision that became a GIANT unlock. Phil also shares his perspective on... • What founders need to know when entering a brand effort • What he found to be the most challenging • What he enjoyed the most • Phil's favorite strip mall restaurant (I will be going) If you're the founder of an early-stage start-up, this episode will be a must. Congrats again to @nocodeops and team @zapier for the big news. We're excited to see what comes next.

Brand transformation doesn't always require starting from zero. Our recent work with Irwin is an excellent example of this... We hear it all the time. "𝘋𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩?" or "𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨." These are perfectly normal opinions pre-project. But the point of this post is... The goal is the same whether you keep some assets, bridge into new assets, or start from zero. To meet the market in the most impactful way for your company. Irwin was already an innovator in investor relations management. They just needed their brand identity to catch up with the product. The result is a fresh, mature identity with approachability. It's a beautiful example of a significant change without being a wild departure. See the full case study here: focuslab.agency/work/irwin

I hear it all the time: "That's too simple. It doesn't mean anything." My answer is always, "Yet!" Simplicity opens the door for creativity, not the other way around. Shout out to the Locally team for understanding this during their rebrand with @FocusLabLLC

Calling all creatives... @CirclesConf is coming! 🫵 Hit me up if you plan on attending; I'd love to meet up. 𝗜'𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵–𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. I'll cover topics such as... • Where strategy leads, and design takes over • How much is too much to explore vs show • How to build a successful narrative to pair with design • How to structure a successful round 1 of design • What questions to ask when meeting with the client • How to course correct when things go sideways • Iteration versus perfection I'm even more excited to connect with my friends/peers... Emily Cohen 👈 A must-follow if you're an agency owner. Natalie Kent 👈 The best leader of creatives I've ever seen. @sean_fox 👈 Kick-ass agency owner. Humility and drive at its best. @AllanPeters 👈 The king of logos and identity. @ambertguez 👈 Master of pixels and business systems. And many more. The lineup is stacked! See you all there. 🙏 --- Check it out at → circlesconference.com

When @TrustedSec approached us about branding... I felt their smiley logo needed to go. I was wrong. Thank goodness I was. TLDR: Don't jump to conclusions. "We need your help, but you cannot change the logo." Given it was a smiley face with an eye patch, I felt that was a bad idea. Knowing their desire to shift perception, I was 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 this had to go. The smiley felt like it was holding them back versus pulling them forward. Issues being: ownability and trust in a market that requires both. What I failed to realize, though, was just how beloved that symbol was internally. Brands are equally internal and external. We opened our minds to the challenge. The result is still one of my favorite @FocusLabLLC projects of 2023. We delivered an identity that feels future-forward, trusted, and appropriate for their space. While also leveraging their company DNA to create something ownable and uniquely theirs. --- Special shoutout to @HackingDave for building an amazing company and allowing us to step into that for just a minute. 🙏

Customer Testimonials > Awards

I'm leading an AMA all day at @exitfivemedia next week, May 9th 🗓️ If you're not a member but considering it, do it before May 11th and drop my name; you'll get the first month FREE. 🫵 Use code: BILL Come join an incredible community led by @davegerhardt packed with intelligent, active, and driven B2B Marketers. Plus, a brand chap ;) exitfive.com

The new @voiceflow identity is 💪 Simple solution w/ depth for the win.