Not only are we entering a new decade on the calendar, we at Slagle Design are entering our second decade as a business. We’ve learned a lot over the years.
I started as a reluctant entrepreneur. Ten years later, I’m a different person altogether. I’ve learned hundreds of things about myself, my business and about serving others in our work. Here are some of the best things I’ve learned, in no particular order.
Success is less about talent and more about being a trustworthy partner.
Listening, really listening. Delivering on time and on budget. Looking out for ways to save your clients money and overhead. Getting to know them and their business so you can create great work that resonates with them as well as their loyal customers. Responding in a timely fashion. Keeping them in the loop as to what to expect next and what will happen after that. These will keep you in business and lead to referrals. It’s not enough to make pretty work if you are unable to meet and exceed the needs of your clients and ensure that you’ll be a reliable and empathetic partner.
Treat your business like a client.
Show me a “cobler whose children have no shoes” and I’ll show you a cobbler who needs to take better care of his family! We are creatives who help other businesses look great and communicate effectively and yet so many designers don’t care for their own business’ communications or creative side projects. You have to list your own projects right alongside your paying work–however you track such things (I’m currently loving Asana). When the paying work slows down or you’re waiting for a client to send approval, work on that much-needed update to your website or think about creating your holiday card, even if it’s April. You’ll thank yourself in November! It’s also a great place to list ideas for side projects or personal development goals. If you add it to your list and it still sounds like a good idea when you get around to it, it probably is!
We all get screwed by someone at some point. How we choose to respond makes all the difference.
They will take your work and refuse to pay you for it regardless of having everything in writing. Fortunately, it has only happened a few times. I lost sleep. I got angry. I got my lawyer involved. At the end of the day, you have two choices: fight or forgive. Fighting is expensive—often times more expensive that what is owed you. Fighting requires a lot of time that you could be spending working with the clients who actually value what you do. Fighting leads to bitterness and anxiety. I have found that when there are no options left, you have to forgive and move on. This is insanely hard to do in the moment, but once you realize that it’s not about you, it’s about them, you can, over time, forgive them and turn your energy to the clients who care. This a healing process for me and I have found that every time I have forgiven, it gets easier the next time.
Believe in your process and stand by it at all cost.
We have a tried and true process. It is designed, not to make our jobs easier, but to deliver the best possible solutions for our clients and to ensure everyone is an active participant in the creative process. Sometimes, potential clients wish to skip key parts of the process due to budget, deadlines, or simply because they don’t value certain parts. Every time I have bent over backwards and or taken a project against my better judgement, I have regretted it. Figure out your tried-and-true process and stick to it. If someone wants you to cut corners, walk away. It means they aren’t a good fit for you and it’s not fair to either party involved. Remember that a healthy relationship is a two-way street. It’s not enough for the client to choose you as a good fit for them, it’s equally important that they are a good fit for you.
I’m far more capable than I gave myself credit for.
When I started out, I promised God (out loud) “I would not say ‘no’ to an opportunity if fear is the only reason.” Shortly thereafter I was invited to speak and present my work to design students and faculty at a university. I was terrified. The only thing I remember was getting up to speak and sitting down afterwards. I have no recollection of what I said or even if I said anything at all. Then I accepted an opportunity to speak to another group, then another. Over the years, speaking has become an opportunity I actively seek out and has given me a platform to encourage and inspire others in ways I couldn’t have imagined and has led to some great friendships.
It’s good to be a generalist.
We don’t listen to people who tell us to “stay in our lane” or “you have to specialize.” If you want to add to your skill set, take a class, learn something on Skillshare, get some equipment and learn how to use it. Intern for someone who is willing to show you the ropes. I started out as a designer but I also do quite a bit of illustration and photography. Branching out and adding new skills keeps things interesting and fresh. It also gives you knowledge about how things work. So even if you end up outsourcing projects that you like to do, you have an understanding of the ins and outs so you can communicate well with your creative partners.
Trusted, vetted, creative partners who treat your clients as well as you do are essential.
While it’s good to be a generalist, its equally important to know your boundaries. We partner with some of the smartest, most talented, most reliable people around. They are developers, writers, producers, animators, printers, and architects to name a few. Our clients love them and we couldn’t do our job without them. We trust them to work directly with out clients and often the relationships extend beyond our scope of the project. We love hearing when clients continue their relationships with our creative partners long after our part of the job is complete.
Invest time in your website.
I see it all of the time: killer social media presence with a non-existent website. We get a ton of work from our website because we have made it the primary focus of our attention. Social media platforms come and go. They change their algorithms and change the rules. They use your work to sell advertising and your information as currency. But your website is 100% under your control. Posting on your blog, keeping your portfolio up to date and making regular updates makes a huge impact on your bottom line. It’s a sandbox where you get to set the rules and build what you want without conforming to someone else’s. After all, when clients are looking for a designer, they typically search on Google, not Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Social media isn’t social.
People will say things on-line they would never say to someone in-person. They will trash people they have never met, practice moral superiority, and add anxiety and drama to your life. Life has enough drama of its own. Be actually social, join and support local creative organizations. Attend conferences. Grab coffee with people. Have real conversations. You’ll find out that people have more in common than social media would lead you to believe, and maybe hearing from others can change your perception and even your opinion.
Joy comes from gratitude.
Working for someone else and expecting a regular paycheck is very different than relying on whatever work comes your way in a given month. When I started Slagle Design 10 years ago, losing a regular paycheck and benefits was really scary. It took a good five years before I was mentally out of “scarcity mode.” Focusing on scarcity means you aren’t able to see provision when it’s staring right back at you. Gratitude is about focusing on the provision. When that mental switch flipped it changed everything. When I recognized I had little control over my workload and income and it actually gave me peace. What I can control is how much we save and how much we spend. We learned to save, save, save, during times of plenty so when the drought comes, you have plenty of margin to cover any losses.