S14 E1: What’s the Future of Independent Design Studios? with Steven Wakabayashi

In this first episode of season 14, I talk with Steven Wakabayashi, creative director and founder of Stranger Creative, about building a strong company culture in a fully remote, globally distributed agency, what it really takes to grow from freelance-style work into a sustainable team, and having the right mindset as a business owner. We also chat about how we work with talented freelancers across different areas of design expertise, and how that produces top tier work for our clients.Guest Name: Steven WakabayashiGuest Websites: strangercreative.com / stevenwakabayashi.com/speakingGuest Linkedin: inkedin.com/stevenwakabayashiGuest Substack: strangercreative.substack.comGuest Podcast: Yellow GlitterLinks Mentioned:Just WorksQTBIPOC Design (nonprofit organization)Links:The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designersDownload my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.**Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramHello June Creative InstagramThe Design MinimindJoin The Creative Diaries (my email list)Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design