Entrepreneur Meets Artist – A Journey in Branding with David Brier

What this episode covers

This episode of The Jake Dunlap Show features David Brier, Chief Gravity Defyer at DBD International. An artist as much as he is an entrepreneur, David has been hailed as a "mad genius" and is a world-renowned designer with a thriving business. David recalls his roots and his first forays into the art spectrum. From visual arts to music, David tried it all in his college days until he zeroed in on design and typography. He founded his first design company soon after college, moved on, and diversified his service with DBD International. Moving to branding felt natural to David. His curiosity with designs he admired translated into the branding success he delivers to his clients. David also experienced the monumental shift in the 90s when design creation moved dramatically from analog to digital. Far from satisfied, David is also a prolific writer and has authored several books, including Defying Gravity & Rising Above the Noise: The 8 Principles for Achieving and Maintaining Brand Elevation. Today, he also comments on the branding trends he has noticed and the value of originality in creating memorable designs. Listen to the full podcast on David Brier’s journey in branding and his colorful anecdotes on life as a designer. QUOTES: 09:54 "I need to be a designer because I can then, at least, control the outcome and be accountable for the outcome of all the bits and pieces work together. I didn't want to just be what I call a musician in the orchestra." 32:02 "I started to do stuff as editorial design, meaning how do I tell a story, how do I use a headline, how do I use all these bits and pieces to work together on a page. It was more of an editorial approach." 33:16 "Vanilla is what you put the hot fudge on. Vanilla isn't the star, the hot fudge is. And so I was all about the hot fudge, not the vanilla." 40:04 "I can use all these things to create a story, a visual, an entity, a presence, that started out maybe as a little germ of an idea in someone's head some time ago. And so I could bring that to life." 47:05 "Are you really that devoid of originality? Truly? Go and take a walk then, go to a museum, go to a gallery, go to some city, walk the streets and look at the windows. Get some inspiration." More about David David Brier is a brand identity expert, designer with decades of experience, author, and speaker. He has worked with industry legends like Shark Tank investor and FUBU CEO Daymond John who calls David "brilliant with branding." He has been quoted as saying, "cookie cutters are for baking, not branding" and has been featured on Forbes.com and Fortune Small Business. He has hundreds of international recognitions, including a first-place win in the 2013 Shorty Awards, known in the industry as the "Oscars for Social Media." David has worked with Revlon, Estee Lauder, Jim Henson Associates, Rolling Stone Magazine, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, and the Trump Organization. This passionate dedication to his work has earned him more than 300 international and national industry awards. Aside from already being a published writer, David is also a Fast Company author who regularly tackles topics on innovation, advertising, and of course, branding in all its shapes and forms. Find out more about David Brier and connect with him in the following links: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrier/ Website (Rising Above the Noise) - https://risingabovethenoise.com/ Author Page (Fast Company) - https://www.fastcompany.com/user/david-brier Learn more about Jake Dunlap and Skaled by visiting the links below: Jake Dunlap: Personal Site - http://jakedunlap.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakedunlap/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/JakeTDunlap Instagram - http://instagram.com/jake_dunlap_ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JakeTDunlap/ Skaled: Website - https://skaled.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/skaled YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsw_03rSlbGQkeLGMGiDf4Q