E25: Balancing Creativity and Business with Aaron Draplin
Today we are talking to Aaron Draplin, a graphic designer, author, and founder of Draplin Design Co. He works with some big-name clients and is the co-creator of the Field Notes brand. Heβs truly a design guru, and weβre thrilled to have him on our show today.
Some of the highlights of the show include:
- The moment when Aaron made the decision that he could and would leave his job at an agency and go off on his own and become an entrepreneur.
- How going off on his own made it easier for Aaron to be excited about work and make more money, tripling his income in a short period of time.
- Why focusing only on big-name clients is inauthentic and not the way that Aaron found success.
- Aaronβs thoughts on how he balances the creative and business sides of his business.
- One of the biggest business mistakes Aaron made early in his venture.
- Why bigger isnβt necessarily better when it comes to clients.
Links:
- Draplin.com
- Field Notes
- DDCbook.com
- Better Rename
- Astute Graphics
- Papillon
- Neil Degrasse Tyson books
- A Universe From Nothing
Quotes by Aaron:
- βWhen I started to get ahead, it was an epiphany: It was actually easier on my own.”
- βI didnβt want to be a person who was hard to approach.β
- βBigger isnβt better…. The bigger the clients, the more emails and phone calls. Thereβs a price you pay for all that stuff.β