Podcasts about industry print shop

My guest on this episode is Tony Diaz from Industry Print Shop out of Austin Texas. If you haven't heard of Industry, where have you been!? I call this episode, story time with Tony. In this episode, we talk about: how Industry started and came to be. how he became "The Merch Guy" some of the important projects that helped Industry grow. Flatstock at SXSW and what it meant for Tony. a workshop at Nike HQ. print projects that went sideways and what happened. projects that Tony is the most proud of. the transition from doing the printing to a business owner leadership role. tough times in the history of Industry. what is really fulfilling for Tony in this stage of his life. and soo soo much more. Tony is an awesome human and is full of stories that help you to learn from his mistakes, successes, and experiences. You can really feel the genuine joy from him coaching creatives through stories and community. THE LINKS Industry Print Shop Website: CLICK HERE FREE Print Ready Files Checklist: Download here FREE Craft Beer Label Design Guide: Get it HERE. Print Design Academy on YouTube: CLICK HERE International Print Day: CLICK HEREPrint Across America: CLICK HERE

Tony Diaz, AKA Tony Industry, AKA The Ted Lasso of Youth Sports, is a genuine hype man in the print industry. After pursuing punk rock led him to touring the world and slinging merch, he decided settle down in Austin, TX, and focus his energy into creating the Industry Print Shop we all know and love today. Topics of discussion include: Doom scrolling, coaching, punk rock, touring, settling down, day 1 customers that stick, partnering with clients, building a team, posters, single point light sources, edibles, and friendship.

Sure, you've been in business for a few years... has the daily grind wear you down to a knob? Have you lost your passion for what you thought was an earth-shattering career move a few years ago? That absolutely is not the case with today's guests on this episode of Success Stories. Austin, Texas-based Tony Diaz with Industry Print Shop has been cranking out some of the most creative art-driven work since 2007. Whether it's posters or apparel, you can be sure that Tony's team is knee-deep in the fun of putting together some amazing work. We'll hear how Tony and his crew and industry print shop keep everything on creatively moving forward. So get ready for some awesomeness.

The Blessing & Curse of the Mountain Climbing "What's Next" Mentality Back in episode 56, my brother Tony Diaz of Industry Print Shop shared his inspiring story of how he went from being a punk rocker in a band on the Warped Tour to starting one of the most successful print shops in the U.S. He talked about his mentality of "climbing mountains." Whenever he accomplished his main mission, he immediately set his sights on an even bigger target. Ya, it was cool that he accomplished something like being on the Warped Tour, but what's next? You know the phrase, "There are two sides to every coin?" To me, to be able to climb mountains and relentlessly pursue the next big accomplishment is no doubt a blessing. At the same time, it's a curse. The Blessing The mountain-climbing business is a blessing as it enables you to: Tap into your potential. Cultivate a killer work ethic. Not gonna lie, I naturally gravitate towards people who operate in this fashion and love to observe them. I've learned that these mountain climbers never settle—they're hungry, focused, inspired, and always pursuing the next peak to tame. They see the world through a different lens. Their pupils are glued straight ahead and upward. There's no time to break their gaze by looking down or behind them. Like a kid driven to dig out the prize buried in the bottom of a 90's cereal box, nothing will distract them from getting that prize. Does this sound like you or anyone you know? How to Know if You're a Mountain Climber Checklist You're a mountain climber if you: realize that life is short and you have to take matters into your own hands. have accepted that no one is going to deliver your dream to your front door like a fresh and hot pizza from your favorite local joint. welcome adversity and use failure as your fuel. aren't afraid to kick your own ass and show up when it's not convenient. Doesn't this sound like a fucking glorious modern-day creative Chuck Norris lifestyle? How could this mindset be any other than a blessing? If you haven't guessed it by now, I'm a mountain climber. Trust me when I say this roundhouse kick approach to your creative grind comes with a cost. The Curse Seduced by "Success" & Blinded by Comparison I transformed into a mountain climber when I got a little taste of what I thought was "success" back around 2013/2014. I became tunnel-visioned and borderline-obsessed with my side hustle when: My artwork started gaining traction on Instagram. Internet people started following my art and sending me praise. People started to pay me for my work. I'd get asked to speak or teach at big creative conferences. While cool shit was happening in my life, the comparison trap made it impossible to appreciate any progress I made during my climb. I was convinced that I had gotten such a late start to the game compared to my creative peers and idols. This eliminated my need to live in the moment and soak up wins, whether big or small. What was the point when someone else had more followers, bigger clients, or bigger keynotes on bigger stages? I couldn't appreciate what I had or was doing because I needed more—I was too focused on "what's next." I thought being obsessive about climbing bigger and better mountains was the key to surpassing all these people. The "Hustle Culture" Syndrome Another downside to this "what's next" mentality is becoming jaded by the "Hustle Culture." You begin to believe that you have burn the candle at both ends to advance. To ascend and dominate the next mountain, you sign your permission slip to lose sleep by working early and grinding hard late into the night. You tell yourself it's okay to eat shitty for convenience, skip the gym, and blow off people (even loved ones) because you begin to think these things are distractions. Next thing you know: you're burnt out, feeling like shit, have zero energy, and have no support. Working Smarter + Self-Awareness = Smart Hustle By all means, work your ass off. Don't let anyone tell you can't climb a mountain, as I'm all about going against the grain and making shit happen for yourself. However, I've learned this lesson the hard way. I've gone through burnout, ruined relationships, and hating the way I felt when looking in the mirror. Five years into my side hustle, I'm still a constant work-in-progress. My failures have taught me that there can be a beautiful balance of working hard and not working at all. "Cool" vs. "Not Cool" To find this beautiful balance, I think it's important to establish "cool" vs. "not cool" scenarios. Hitting a big milestone is "cool", but's it's more "cool" to have people in your corner to celebrate with (more on that in part two of this series). I understand that, once in a while, you may have to do an all-nighter to hit a deadline...but accepting this as the norm is "not cool." What's "cool" is getting sleep, taking care of your mental, physical, and even spiritual being to have the energy to work smarter, not harder. What's "not cool" is digging yourself an early grave because you work non-stop with no light at the end of the tunnel. What's "cool" is learning how to take breaks, delegating the non-essential, disconnecting, and having hobbies that let you recharge and refuel your inspiration tank. If you're a mountain climber like me, these "cool" areas tend to be our biggest struggles. This is why I've been implementing a week off from the podcast every seven weeks, so I can inject reoccurring lights at the end of the tunnel. I'm still early into this, but it's already helped immensely. I'm not feeling as overwhelmed, and I give myself a well-deserved day off. Be Cooler Than Chuck Norris Yes, Chuck Norris is cool. He has his own genre of jokes, and even though the dude is almost 80, he can still kick almost anyone's ass. However, what's cooler than being a modern-day creative Chuck Norris is kicking ass on your creative grind while still being able to see the bigger picture: the importance of health and relationships. What I'm really trying to say is, when you're climbing mountains, don't forget to look down and live in the in-between moments. Don't let life pass you by because you're too focused on "what's next." You can have your cake and eat it too with some "Smart Hustle." Stick with me as Part 2 is all about popping bottles and learning how to celebrate all W's, big and small. Enjoy This Episode? If you enjoyed and found this episode value, I need your help spreading it! Please, share a screenshot or video of the episode you’re listening to and tag me on Instagram at @prspctv_cllctv and @perspectivepodcast—and let’s connect. Shownotes Download your FREE Side Hustler’s War Chest Get your FREE audiobook download from Audible Join our Private Global Facebook Community of Creators Listener of the Week: decentdesigner usa Podcast Editor: Aine Brennan Shownotes Editor: Paige Garland Video Editor: Colton Bachar Podcast music: Blookah Want to Support the Show? Become a backer on Patreon Leave an Apple Podcast Rating and Review Share the show on social media or follow the Perspective Podcast Instagram Subscribe via your favorite podcast player: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play Music Overcast

The Big 100 EPISODE 100 BABY! You're in for a treat. I've listened to hours of previous guest episodes and strategically plucked out some of the best golden nuggets. These people's words made a significant impact on my daily mindset and approach and I feel it will hit home with you too. The following, in no particular order, are the Top 10 Tips from Industry Juggernauts to Elevate Your Creative Hustle. You're getting knowledge bombs dropped on you from the likes of: Erik Marinovich, Lauren Hom, Durham Brand & Co., Hoodzpah, Industry Print Shop, BenRealvsWorld, Pandr Design Co., Mama's Sauce, Propaganda and Alicja Colon. So sit back, open your mind, and let this heavy dose of knowledge vibrate through your body and soul...oh, ya, it's like that today. Let me know what you think. Take a screenshot of the podcast episode you’re listening to and tag me on Instagram @perspectivepodcast and @prspctv_cllctv or Twitter—and let’s connect. — Shownotes Episode 85: Erik Marinovich Episode 75: Lauren Hom Episode 70: Durham Brand & Co. Episode 71: Hoodzpah Episode 56: Industry Print Shop Episode 61: BenRealVsWorld Episode 65: Pandr Design Co. Episode 84: Mama's Sauce Episode 82: Propaganda Episode 45: Alicja Colon Hoodzpah book: Freelance and Business and Stuff (FABAS) Dose of Inspiration: @travispietsch Podcast Editor: Aine Brennan Shownotes Editor: Paige Garland Podcast music: Blookah — Want to Support the Show? Become a backer on Patreon Leave an Apple Podcast Rating and Review Share the show on social media or follow the Perspective Podcast Instagram Crypto Donation Support Bitcoin: 1j5vE64PWgkJHGnGSrAiJK82bnfn7fBgu Ethereum: 0xFf60588C873E34235dE371450d58129d8d7cAC16 Litecoin: LerTFZfvtW4iH7qJM8vSE9mkdQA24yKmB6 Subscribe via your favorite podcast player: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play Music Overcast Stitcher Tune In

Balancing Life with Your Vision with Nick Sambrato of Mama's Sauce I’ve learned, over the years, that sometimes being obsessive over something is a good thing. It allows you to have tunnel vision and focus extraordinary effort in one direction. Obsessiveness with your goal or dream can radically transform your mindset and life—possibly for the better. On the flip side, being obsessed with too many things can spread you too thin. This can cause you to make minimal progress in a million directions—or worse yet—make you lose sight of what’s really important. There are priorities and limits in life. You can’t do all the things, and you can’t be everything to everyone. Saying no becomes just as important as saying yes. You’ll also learn that you can’t control everything in life. Yes, having ambition, a vision, and a mission is needed for your inner compass. Other times, it’s healthy and beneficial to be open to the unknown and swim with the current of the universe. Planning to Face the Unknown Queue today’s guest: my brother Nick Sambrato from the behemoth print shop Mama’s Sauce, a top-notch spot color printmaking shop specializing in letterpress, hot foil, and screenprinting reigning from Orlando, Florida. You know I have mad love for my boys Tony Diaz and the Industry Print Shop crew, but you can’t sleep on the work Nick and Mama’s Sauce bring to the table over their 10-year history. I met Nick and his crew back in 2015 my first year attending Creative South. Nick, Bob Ewing, and Brian French of French Paper welcomed me with open arms; it’s been a budding relationship since. Not only is Nick obsessive about creating high-quality products, but the entire team is addicted to building relationships and geeking out over the work designers and artists like you print and put out into the world. So, gather around the table, as I hope you brought your appetite. Today, Nick and I cover a buffet of topics such as: Balancing three obsessions Having a plan yet facing the unknown Staying forever curious Chasing and climbing your Everest I know you'll feel full and satisfied after gorging on this episode. Shownotes Follow Mama’s Sauce: Website  | Instagram  | Blog  | Twitter Creative South Conference Brian French of French Paper Bob Ewing Josh Ariza of Chomp Brand Creative Morning’s Interview & Talk Dose of Inspiration: @Oliviariferiani Podcast Editor: Aine Brennan Shownotes Editor: Paige Garland Podcast music: Blookah Want to Support the Show? Become a backer on Patreon Leave an Apple Podcast Rating and Review Share the show on social media or follow the Perspective Podcast Instagram Crypto Donation Support Bitcoin: 1j5vE64PWgkJHGnGSrAiJK82bnfn7fBgu Ethereum: 0xFf60588C873E34235dE371450d58129d8d7cAC16 Litecoin: LerTFZfvtW4iH7qJM8vSE9mkdQA24yKmB6 Subscribe via your favorite podcast player: iTunes Spotify Google Play Radio Overcast Stitcher

Amy chats with Tony Diaz of Austin-based Industry Print Shop, all about making and getting the most of your merch. They discuss the opportunities available to bands in the digital era, live and on-demand screen printing, and what kind of merch is going to give you the best return on your investment while keeping fans walking away happy. Check out Industry Print Shop at https://bit.ly/2JYU7iC Distribute your next release through TuneCore at https://bit.ly/2EYwh2T

Industry Print Shop: https://www.industryprintshop.com/ Sliding Squeegee Enamel Pin: http://industryprintshop.bigcartel.com/product/sliding-squeegee-enamel-pin Work That Matters Tease: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc5y98RDSCW/ Cut From the Same Cloth: https://www.instagram.com/p/BaxF-dQDsrn/ Morning Breath INC: http://www.morningbreathinc.com/

Rise Up to the Challenge What did you accomplish in 2017? Did you build or work on something you can be proud of? If so, you have a chance to build on that momentum in 2018. If not, you have a clean slate to get your hands dirty and put in work. I say it all the time, but you have insane amounts of potential buried inside you. Yet the road to mining it won't be easy. You're gonna deal with plenty of shit to get to the sunshine as mentioned in last week's episode. This year is your opportunity to rise up to the challenge of taking initiative, being prepared to say yes and knowing when to say no. Create Your Own Door Opportunities are out there to be had, but they won't knock if you haven't built a door. This one is straight from Tony Diaz of Industry Print Shop on episode 56. It all boils down to being proactive instead of reactive. I wouldn't be where I am today had I not gotten uncomfortable and started sharing my art on Instagram. I'd be stuck in my last miserable day job had I not busted my ass working outside of work to build a stellar portfolio. You can't sit around expecting opportunities to be wrapped up in a Gucci bow and gracefully fall into your lap. Nothing in life worth having comes easy and to achieve something you've never had, you have to be willing to do something you've never done. Creating your own luck by building a door looks like: sharing the early stages of your work even though it looks like trash to you starting a side project and marketing yourself through social media reaching out to someone to collaborate with even though they may say no going with your gut even though others advise against it Get out of the bitching and complaining business. Be proactive, hire yourself and join the door building business. Be Prepared When Opportunity Knocks Building a Door Through Blogging Back in June 2015, I took the initiative and started blogging. To be honest, I sucked ass in the beginning, but little did I know I was launching my public speaking career. Only a year into blogging, I was offered my first speaking gig by my good friend Diane Gibbs in February 2016. Diane is a door builder for other people and she makes things happen. The opportunity she gave me was a keynote at a conference called Flourish in Mobile, AL with attendance ranging from 100-150 people. When she asked if I was interested, every bone in my body wanted to scream out "no." What If I Said No? Looking back on it now, this was a monumental moment in my creative career. If I would've declined the challenge, I wonder where I would be today? Thankfully I said yes as I practiced my ass off and gave a solid first speech. A few weeks later I got a call from Mike Jones, the creator of Creative South. He offered me a speaking slot at a conference that sells out at 800 people each year. Again, every bone in my wanted to scream no, but I rose to the challenge. Since then I have spoken in front of hundreds of people at conferences like Crop, Pop-Up Crop and WMC Fest. It's also helped me land multiple opportunities at local schools, events and conferences. Blogging and speaking have since led to teaching workshops on how to prepare and give a killer talk. Side note: I'll be teaching a workshop on this both at Creative South and Crop Conference in 2018. If you're showing up and investing time into your self and your work, you're bound to manifest some opportunities. The question is, will you be prepared to act on them? Want to help the show grow? Consider supporting the cause on Patreon Be Okay With Saying No Something valuable I learned in 2017 was the power of saying no, even though I wasn't the best at applying it. Simply put, "if it's not a Hell Yes, it's a definite Hell No." That's an easy way to measure opportunities that come your way you'd think? However, I got to a point where so many things felt like a Hell Yes. This caused me to grind myself to exhaustion and neglect relationships. November was a hard lesson learned as I: spoke at a conference in Texas completed not one but two murals taught a lettering workshop got the podcast back to a weekly format stressed myself the fuck out This was all outside a 40 hour day job too. While these all seemed like Hell Yes opportunities, I could've said no to a few of them for the sake of my sanity. Learning when to say no to a great opportunity isn't easy. It's hard to see past it and realize this isn't the last opportunity that'll come your way. Something I'm also applying is writing down a short list of focus priorities within a season. In Q1 of 2018, my focus is solely on building the podcast and delivering killer speeches in February and March. That means saying no to great freelance opportunities, teaching lettering workshops and anything else that pops up. Knowing what's most important to focus on should hopefully make saying no to Hell Yes opportunities a little easier. Stake Your Claim No matter where you are on your creative path, I hope you constantly mine for that potential buried within you. Stop looking for the easy trail and seek out mountains to climb in 2018. It all boils down to how badly do you want it and what are you prepared to do to make it happen? Rise up to whatever challenges come your way this year. Prepare for your opportunities that manifest from climbing mountains. Remember, don't expect a damn thing in this world to be handed to you. Stake your claim and take it. Shownotes I'll be speaking at AIGA Raleigh Thrive Conference Feb. 23, 2018 Diane Gibbs Mike Jones of Creative South Crop  /  Pop-Up Crop WMC Fest Podcast theme music by Blookah Podcast edited by Aine Brennan Want to Support the Show? Become a backer on Patreon Leave an iTunes Rating and Review Share the show on social media or follow the Perspective Podcast Instagram Crypto Donation Support Bitcoin: 1j5vE64PWgkJHGnGSrAiJK82bnfn7fBgu Ethereum: 0xFf60588C873E34235dE371450d58129d8d7cAC16 Litecoin: LerTFZfvtW4iH7qJM8vSE9mkdQA24yKmB6 Subscribe on your favorite podcast player: iTunes Spotify Google Play Radio Overcast Stitcher

Building Doors With Industry Print Shop When you catch a big break, it usually means a little bit of luck was sprinkled in the mix. However, sometimes in order for you to have an opportunity to be lucky, you have to build your own door to be knocked on or down. That's the case today with guest Tony Diaz. Tony is the head honcho of the artist-run, award-winning screen print shop specializing in apparel and flatstock, Industry Print Shop in Austin, TX. They work with some of the biggest names in the industry like Goodtype, Morning Breathe, James Victore and Draplin to name a few. While it says printshop in their name they do far more than that as they are in the business of creating experiences for creatives like you and me. Tony and his crew are also in the business of building doors as you heard in the intro sound byte which we dive deeper into on this episode. Want to help the show grow? Consider supporting the cause on Patreon He’s a punk rocker turned screen printer turned business owner. Not only does he have an incredible story to tell but he has a ton of wisdom and bravado to motivate you to keep pushing your work to the next level. In this episode we talk about: Creating your own luck Betting on yourself when others tell you you can’t Finding things you believe in to contribute to that are bigger than yourself The power of collaborating and providing mutual value And so much more Listen to the end of the episode to hear how you can get a fat ass discount on their website which is loaded with some killer merch. Shownotes Industry Instagram  Industry Website Industry Twitter Industry Editions Prints Industry Merch Tony's Instagram - @Antibydesign Tony's Website Doug & Jason of Morning Breath Inc. Bobby Dixon's Work - @Klctvefusion Brian Maclaskey's Work - @BrianMaclaskey Land Boys Instagram - @L A N D Matt Dawson of Crop Conference Dose of Inspiration: @ofatomsandlines Podcast theme music by @blookah Want to Support the Show? Become a backer on Patreon Leave an iTunes Rating and Review Share the show on social media or follow the Perspective Podcast Instagram Subscribe on your favorite podcast player: iTunes Stitcher Google Play Radio Overcast

I'll level with you, I've been a bit of a conference whore in 2017. All for good reasons as I mentioned in episode 49, conferences help you find your people. Another reason is to scope out conferences that I'd like to speak at one day as not all conferences are the same. As I wrap up 2017, I just attended my final conference of the year in Austin, TX. The event was the first Pop-Up Crop Conference held by my good friend Matt Dawson of Studio Gray / Stay Gray Pony Boy along with his wife, Ariadne. I've talked about Crop Conference in Baton Rouge in the past and had Matt on to tell his story in episode 37. Pop-Up Crop is a different story as it was a one-day event filled with powerhouse creatives who either spoke or taught a workshop. The lineup was stacked with speakers like Jason Craig, Lauren Dickens, Steve Wolf, Brian Steely and Aaron Draplin. I had a chance to speak on the Goodtype Panel with Brooke Robinson (Goodtype creator, Bobby Dixon and Drew Lakin. Industry Print Shop not only sponsored the conference and afterparty but taught a workshop as well. Plenty of good times were had and I'm always one who wants to channel my reflections into a summary. I feel the best way to do that is to relay some takeaways you can apply to your creative practices. Here were my top 3 that I think will resonate with you too as you finish your week strong.   Mind the Gaps - Jason Craig Jason Craig is another friend of the podcast and his episode 43 visit has been a listener favorite. The way he weaves his stories and analogies together is legendary. He finds a way to punch you in the gut with his humor yet still drop a ton of jaw-dropping value. The one that stood out the most when he talked about "Minding the Gaps." Throughout your life and especially in your creative career, you're going to have plenty of times when you get knocked on your ass. These are the low gaps between the moments when things couldn't be going better. Without these gaps, it's hard to appreciate when things go right. Those shitty times in between the highlights are the moments who shape who you become. So when things aren't working in your favor, mind the gaps and know that better times are ahead of you. Approach Every Day With Intention - Tony Diaz Next up was my brother Tony Diaz, who's the head honcho in charge of Industry Print Shop. Tony is legitimately one of the most generous souls I've ever met and has an incredible story. I'll be having him on the show sooner than later as you need to know what's he's doing for the creative community. Before he led a screen printing workshop, he gave a brief talk and dropped a little nugget. Tony talked about how approaches each day with intention. This has helped him scale Industry to one of the biggest print shops in the nation. Approaching each day with intention means having a plan and being focused. It also means having some enthusiasm and being ready to attack that goal or vision. I want to challenge you to think about how you're approaching your work each day. Are you winging shit or attacking it with intention? Break Borders Between Life & Work - Lauren Dickens The final takeaway comes from the insanely talented designer, Lauren Dickens. She dropped a smorgasbord of takeaways accompanied by some of the most polished designed slides I've ever seen. To be frank, I've never been more jealous of someone's slide deck. Her talking points ranged from: The Power of Putting on Pants Be in Charge of Your Own Version of Success Your Work is a Wild Animal, Set it Free. The one that caught my attention the most was "Break the Borders Between Life & Work." Basically stating that the things that make you unique make your work unique. It parallels what Andy J. Miller preaches about finding yourself in your work on his Creative Pep Talk podcast. So I ask you: What are those things that are different about you that nobody else can replicate? What are those weird quirks that make you you? Those are the things that need to be showcased in your work and it's something I'm working on revealing more of as well. Get Out of Your Bubble I've talked about this in the past, but get outside of your little bubble. Attending conferences has easily been the one thing I can safely say has brought me the most opportunities. The relationships you'll cultivate and the new skills you'll manifest will launch your creative career out of this stratosphere. Pop-Up Crop was special and they have some big plans for the second one next year. In the meantime, the full Crop is happening in Baton Rouge this April. The lineup just got released on CropBR.com and it's money. I may or may not be teaching a workshop there too... Shownotes Stay up to on the tatest news by Joining my Newsletter team Pop-Up Crop Conference Matt Dawson of Studio Gray / Stay Gray Pony Boy Ariadne Crop Conference in Baton Rouge Industry Print Shop Jason Craig Tony Diaz Lauren Dickens Podcast theme music by Blookah This Weeks Rating & Review: Trey Sprinkle

Give it Time to Grow & Tilt the Scales in Your Favor This week on the show we have a very special guest who just got done hosting an amazing conference called Crop in Baton Rouge. Matt Dawson is a talented designer and connector who creates under the name Stay Gray Ponyboy in Atlanta. He is a shining example of someone who put in the work and used the power of side projects to build a name for himself. He’s not only an insanely talented individual but he’s grown into becoming a really good friend of mine and I can’t wait to share his story with you. Stumbling into Graphic Design Growing up, Matt was always involved with sports, music and drawing. As he approached college, he thought landscape architecture sounded appealing and was involved in that for 3.5 years out of the 5-year program. Outside of class, he found himself constantly using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to make band collateral like posters and merch. Little did he know he was getting started in a career of graphic design. It finally dawned on him that he wanted to switch directions and pursue graphic design. He was in a new relationship with the wonderful Ariadne at the time and he approached her saying they needed to have a talk. The funny thing is she thought he was going to break up with her when really he was just switching majors. Of course, she was 100% on board as he states she always is whatever he chooses to pursue. Over the last 4.5 years, he's been working under the moniker of Stay Gray Ponyboy and the business name of Studio Gray. His situation was like mine when I talk about Making a Name For Yourself in Episode 28, using his first name like Matt Dawson Design didn't fit so he went a more abstract route. There are a few reasons he chose this name because of the word gray: It is a family name and shortly after his daughter was born, everything he did was for her. It also happens to be his favorite color—he's all about overcast days and gray clothing. It pertains to having perspective in a situation. Finally, it was also inspired by the book The Outsiders with the phrase "Stay Gold Ponyboy." While he stumbled into graphic design and built a name for himself, Matt clearly is a workhouse and has put in the work behind the scenes. Give it Time to Grow Something that really stood out to me from Matt's interview is when he said, "Am I going to build something for myself or am I going to build something for someone else?" He's put in the grind at the day job of exchanging hours of his life for pay. He's been in positions where they worked him to the bone for 40-50 hours a week and he'd still find time to pour another 30 hours or so into building his side projects and freelance. When you start having ownership of something, the scale begins to tip in your favor and that was the case with his story. It's all about perception as the amount of work he was kicking out under Stay Gray Ponyboy appeared like he was doing his thing full-time and eventually, that grind paid off. Matt has now been working for himself full-time now for close to two months, and honestly it's all because of the time he invested into letting his side projects grow. Typography Nerd Let's face it, Matt is a typography nerd and I say this with the utmost respect. His love for type led him to have type talks as he worked for Lamar Advertising. His passion for type sparked an archive of typography combinations that he would help other designers use when they were in a pinch. Around the same time, he began using Instagram and sharing these combinations he built up under the catchy name of #TypeComboTuesday. He understood the power of consistency and kicked out Type Combos every Tuesday for 2 years! In 2017 he scaled it back and focuses on it once a month as his freelance career began to blossom. What's funny about speaking and seeing the behind scenes of these events held by Lamar is that it sparked one of his biggest ideas yet... Crop Conference Matt was inspired to take these talks from Lamar and grow them to a larger scale for people in and outside of Louisiana. A patio sessions with a few beers ended up spawning the name Crop. Think about it, cropping a photo is meant to bring out the best part of the composition into the frame and I feel this conference brings out the best part of us creatives. There were a few hurdles he's dealt with and still deals with today in building Crop: Not only was it tough to name but it was tough to design for as your designing for designers. Organizing and working on bringing in some of the biggest conference names like Draplin, Tad Carpenter, Morning Breath, Hoodzpah, Brian Steely, Jason Craig, etc. Getting sponsorships throughout the year. Having a diverse lineup especially within the talks. Getting people to believe in the conference and to convince them it's legit. If you ask me, I feel like he is crushing it in every category. The conference has been so successful that he is planning something special with it in between it's normal time in April. This November, he is doing a satellite event called a Crop Pop Up in November. It'll be a one day gig the Friday before MondoCon 2017. There will be a few workshops, speakers, a big party and plenty of fun with the Industry Print Shop fellas. I suggest you keep up to date on Matt's Instagram, Crop's Instagram or Cropbr.com if you think you want to attend...which I would recommend. Rapid Fire Questions Q. What' one piece of advice you would give to creatives starting a side / passion project or stuck in a creative funk? A. Having the patience to nurture your side project is important. You have to put in the time and give it time to grow. Q. Serif, San Serif or Script? A. San Serif Q. Who's your current favorite artist you're vibing to lately? A. Alvin Diec who is capitalizing on making new things look old. Q. What's your favorite kind of pizza? A. Pepperoni, mushroom, feta cheese and banana peppers at Peace Love and Pizza - Atlanta   Key Takeaways: Are you building for you or are you building for someone else? Start having ownership of something and the scales will start tilting in your favor. If you can get by and be happy, you need to try and figure out how the hell to do that. Have patience and nurture your side projects as you have to give it time to grow Don’t compare your start to someone else's middle Look ahead and try to see what this side project will accomplish for you—that’s the carrot you should keep chasing   Shownotes StayGrayPonyboy.com Stay Gray Ponyboy Instagram Type Combo Tuesday Crop Conference Instagram CropBR.com Stay Gray Ponygirl Industry Print Shop Pizza Drawings Only Lamar Advertising Alvin Diec - Artist's website Peace Love and Pizza - Atlanta Music by Blookah