Asketic Podcast

Marta never planned to start a company.What began with homemade beard oil for her husband has grown into Silmachy, a natural skincare brand selling across Europe.In Episode 67 of the Asketic Podcast, Miķelis Baštiks sits down with Marta to talk about scaling a small business, paid advertising, content, and growing without investors.

Asketic Podcast #66 with our co-founder Miķelis Baštiks and Pärtel Vurma, CEO of Velvet, Estonia's largest design agency.We talked about the business of design, how AI is changing creative work, what clients actually pay for, how agencies approach sales, and why empathy remains a competitive advantage.A conversation about design, business, and the future of creative services.Enjoy.

The same discipline that shapes a football club, is what makes brands and teams last. A special episode with co-Founder Ģirts Mihelsons. We celebrate 20 years of football club Metta & one of the very first logos made by asketic.We get into the story behind the name Metta, why green and white were there from day one, and Ģirts goal of one day making Metta a 100-year club.

A candid story of Ilze Grase Kibilde — moving to another country with two kids as a single parent to become Director of Business Development, Digitalisation and Compliance After Sales at Audi AG. With over 20 years in the automotive industry, she's one of those rare people who knows exactly what long-term thinking looks like in practice.We talked about what it really takes to make a bold career move, how she balances ambition with parenting guilt, why plan B is always ready, and what a 100-year-old brand teaches you about thinking long-term.

When Bitcoin drops, everyone starts questioning crypto. But underneath that, something else is happening. Davis Dargelis has spent years building in this space — and he's one of those rare people who sees clearly without the hype. We talked about why crypto is quietly shifting from speculation to real infrastructure, what MiCA regulation actually means for Europe, why Latvia is making a smart move attracting crypto companies, and how small teams today can operate at a scale that used to require entire departments.

In Asketic Podcast #62, Mikelis Bastiks sits down with Martins Pilens — architect, designer, and founder of My Wine Design and My Wine Basket — to talk premium branding in a tight niche.They talk about Bauhaus thinking, wine culture, why he runs two offers (pro vs lifestyle), and how it grows in the real world: getting into the right shops and places, building distribution, and letting people meet the product offline before they ever see it online.

Most people try to grow their business by working harder, Matīss Kuba builds businesses that work without him.In Asketic Podcast #61, @mikelisbastiks sits down with entrepreneur Matīss Kuba to break down how he uses systems to scale companies — from timber production to modular housing.Full episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts#entrepreneurship #businesssystems #asketicpodcast

PLAN8’s Calle Stenqvist & Hans Iwarsson reveal the hidden power of sound in branding, UX and design — explaining how a single tone can define a brand like Spotify or LinkedIn, why “the shorter the sound, the more expensive it should be,” and how silence can be just as powerful as music.PLAN8 is a Stockholm-based design agency for music and sound, behind the sonic identities of Spotify, LinkedIn, LEGO House and more. With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of audio, design and technology, they’ve proven that small studios can shape the world’s biggest brands.In this conversation, Krisjanis Jukumsons, Asketic Studio Partner, sits down with Calle and Hans to explore how sound becomes design — and why it’s time for brands to think with their ears, not just their eyes.They explain:◼️ Why sound isn’t decoration — it’s a strategic design tool◼️ How to build a sonic identity that people actually remember◼️ What makes UX sounds work (and fail) in global platforms◼️ Why silence sometimes speaks louder than sound◼️ How PLAN8 creates world-class work with a team of just five

Saruna par pirmo bankrotu, pirmo miljonu un pirmajiem bērniem kopā ar uzņēmēju Gustavu Gotautu un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku

Saruna par lielākajiem izaicinājumiem, uzsākot savu pirmo biznesu — bez ārējiem investoriem, attālināti un bootstrap režīmā kopā ar Supply.Family un Orbyt Studio dibinātāju Kristu Dārziņu un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku.

Kā paralēli darbam izveidot biznesu, kas palīdz viegli un legāli norēķināties ar freelanceriem visā pasaulē – un kā mākslīgais intelekts šo procesu pāatrina un maina.

Saruna ar indie-app izstrādātāju Aivaru Meijeru un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku par uzņēmējdarbību un sava ceļa veidošanu

Saruna ar VEDAM vadītāju Gati Rūtiņu un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku par to kā aizvest zīmolu jaunā līmenī.

How design and creative industries create value, how to export design and what the future holds for Baltic designers on the global stage. Join Asketic co-founder Miķelis Baštiks and Algirdas Orantas — Partner at The Critical, Board Member of the Lithuanian Design Association, and Chair of the National Association of Creative and Cultural Industries.

Saruna ar AVAR izpilddirektoru Ilviju Veiti un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku par spilgtākajiem izaicinājumiem un negaidītiem pavērsieniem, ko Ilvija piedzīvojusi, 30 gadus darbojoties auto industrijā – no stereotipiem līdz drosmīgām pārmaiņām

Saruna ar Backdoor Market veidotāju Reini Ulmi un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli BaštikuPar biznesu, radošumu un modi

Saruna ar Runas Skola veidotāju, teātra un operas režisoru Viesturu Meikšānu un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Bašstiku par podkāstu veidošanu un kā apvienot radošo un biznesa pasauli

Saruna ar PLŪKT veidotāju Māru Lieplapu un @MikelisBastiks, Asketic partneri un dizaineri — par to kā izveidot tējas zīmolu no Latvijas, kurš tiek pieprasīts visā pasaulē.

Saruna ar Reini Sembergu, agencyJR veidotāju, un Miķeli Baštiku, Asketic partneri un dizaineri — par to vai e-pastus vēl kāds vispār lasa un kā ar e-pasta mārketingu sasniegt pārdošanas rezultātus vairāk nekā $60M apmērā.

Saruna ar ELYNDI dibinātāju Elīnu Didrihsoni un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku. Sarunā par to kā atrast līdzsvaru starp radošo darbu un uzņēmējdarbību, kā zīmols palīdz veidot pašpārliecinātību un nostiprināties globālajā tirgū, kā arī kāpēc pieticība ne vienmēr ir noderīga?

Saruna ar OAD dibinātāju un vadošo arhitekti Zani Teteri-Šulci un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku.  Sarunā par to, kā atrast līdzsvaru starp radošo darbu un uzņēmējdarbību, kā zīmols palīdz veidot pašapziņu un pieteikt sevi globālā tirgū, un kāpēc pieticība ne vienmēr ir noderīga.

Saruna ar Supliful līdzdibinātāju Mārtiņu Lasmani un Asketic partneri un dizaineri Miķeli Baštiku.  Sarunā par to, kā Supliful 2 gadu laikā ir izdevies pacelt apgrozījumu no 200K–8M, kādēļ kā vadītājam ir svarīgi būt klātesošam sociālajos medijos, kā arī par mērķi izveidot pasaules mēroga organizāciju.

Language Teacher Family un Gunita Lanka 2 gadu laikā no 0 ir izveidojuši personīgo zīmolu ar 2.5M sekotājiem soc. mediju kanālos, kas ir devis viņu ģimenes uzņēmumam iespēju attīstīt biznesu globālā mērogā, dzīvojot un strādājot Liepājā.

Get ready for another insightful episode with Mikelis Bastiks, co-founder of Asketic, and Valters Vestmanis, Partner at Index Masterclass as they talk about how investing and branding go hand in hand. Discover valuable tips on using social media for social proof, boosting engagement, growing your community, building brand association and much more.

Join Asketic's Mikelis Bastiks, co-founder of Asketic, and Linda Kalnina, Corporate Brand Manager at Riga Airport, offering exclusive insight about the journey of the rebranding process of RIX Riga Airport.

Join Mikelis Bastiks, co-founder of Asketic and Janis Lanka, head of product management, offering exclusive insight about to e-commerce, product management, digital product strategy and methods of planning and prioritization - time protection

Join Asketic co-founder Mikelis Bastiks and Liva Grinberga, Design Director, Speaker, Mentor, and Educator, offering exclusive insight into how to effectively lead a diverse team of designers from around the world, ensure consistent quality standards, and nurture positive relationships. Discover how controlled fears can fuel your creativity, and learn to provide constructive feedback to creatives while advocating for the client's needs.

Join Asketic co-founder Mikelis Bastiks and early stage investor, Firstpick co-founder Marijus Andrijauskas, offering an exclusive insight into investing in early stage Baltic startups and why moving fast is so important

Join co-founder Mikelis Bastiks and Printify brand lead David Hooker for Part 2, offering an exclusive insight into visual identity upgrade, brand design agency selection, and the process of structuring the implementation phase for your new brand.

Join Asketic co-founder Mikelis Bastiks and Printify brand lead David Hooker sharing practical insights on how to build a brand story, implementing it across the company & finding a balance while evolving the brand.

In this episode, Asketic Co-Founder Mikelis Bastiks and Rita Alika-Šteinmane, CEO / Executive Producer and co-owner of Panic animation studio share practical insights on how to build a brand to land Google, Netflix, Indeed, Uber, jetBlue, American Express, McDonald's, etc. and craft a global head-turning brand story

In this episode, Asketic Co-Founder Mikelis Bastiks and Mikus Opelts, founder of Giraffe360, share practical insights on building a team's operating cadence, effective international team management, and how imperfections make us unique. 

Join us for an insightful episode of the Asketic Podcast featuring Mikelis Bastiks, Co-Founder of Asketic, in conversation with Lotte Tisenkopfa-Iltnere, the Founder of MÁDARA Cosmetics, as they delve into the secrets of achieving explosive growth through the mastery of brand consistency.

Asketic Podcast Episode with Asketic Co-Founder Mikelis Bastiks and CMO SmartLynx Airlines, on how to reach and work with a Niche Audience.

Asketic podkāsta epizode ar Asketic līdzdibinātāju Miķeli Baštiku un Rīgas galveno pilsētas dizaineri Evelīnu Ozolu par to, ko dizains nozīmē pilsētvidē un kā tas ietekmē mūsu ikdienu.

Asketic Podcast Episode with Asketic Co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks and Founder of Sellfy.com, Māris Daģis, on how to sell digital products and monetize your audience.

Asketic Podcast Episode with Asketic Co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks and Founder Tom Adam Vitolins at Tom Adam on building an authentic luxury family business.

Asketic Podcast Episode with Asketic co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks and Co-Founder at Starwatcher.io Ernests Štāls on how artificial intelligence will impact brand design. 

Asketic Podcast Episode with Asketic co-Founder Mikelis Bastiks and Chief Marketing Officer at Corebook.io - Raitis Velps, on mastering brand consistency. 

Mikael Baštiks, Co-Founder of Asketic, speaks with Laura Sirma, Global Brand Director at Sonarworks, about building a global audio brand from Riga.

Asketic co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks talks with Artūrs Krūze, whose company “Magebit”, founded in Riga, helps with e-commerce solutions all around the world.

Asketic co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks talks with brand strategist @epetersons about why it’s important to create one clear association with a brand and why Latvian companies need to be more shameless in order to achieve global success.

Asketic co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks talks with product & concept developer Beāte Seile about her experience working at “Stenders Cosmetics” and how to develop an idea into a finished product.

Asketic co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks talks with product & concept developer Beāte Seile about her experience working at “Stenders Cosmetics” and how to develop an idea into a finished product.

Asketic co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks talks with Head of “Stenders Cosmetics” Marketing Liene Krištobane about her experience both working for the agency and being its client and how to present the Nordic design language to the Asian culture.

Asketic co-Founder Miķelis Baštiks talking with Inese Ozola from "Amoralle" and "Amoralle Level Up" about how to build and work with the audience and how to create new ways of building business by listening to your audience.

Asketic co Founder Miķelis Baštiks talking with Head of “Virši” Marketing Mārtiņš Eihmanis about rebranding and facelift as a system. How the key values of a brand are practically expressed in the daily decisions of a company.

Asketic co Founder Miķelis Baštiks talking with Head of “Printful” Marketing Raitis Puriņš, about growing a marketing team, building and monetizing your audience.

Saruna ar dizaineri Kristu Dārziņu, par to kā pandēmija palīdzēja no dizaina izstrādes klientiem pārslēgties uz sava biznesa izveidi un digitālu dizaina produktu veidošanu.