Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Smisek.
Hi Michael, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been a creative person, and I spent most of my time drawing, painting, and trying to find out how everything works. I took a number of jobs that stair-stepped my career to where it is now and each opportunity was a deliberate choice into a facet of something I knew I wanted to learn. I went to college for Education and Studio Art and after school, I took a leap and became a franchisee for College Pro Painters while living in Maine. I learned a lot about client relationships, running a crew, hitting deadlines, estimating budgets, and how to remove the occasional wasp nest. I then had an opportunity to intern at Portland Monthly Magazine as part of a small team. They sent me on assignments around the Portland area, taking photos, preparing research, and small amounts of writing and editorial layout. When I moved back to Minnesota, I worked at a large-scale printer, learning valuable skills pertaining to vehicle wraps, signage, vinyl lettering, and file preparation. The final step before striking off on my own was as an in-house designer for a collection of businesses where I got to prepare marketing materials, create websites, and utilize my creativity to redesign logos and photograph and layout a full cookbook. After internal changes in that business shifted, I found myself without a full time job and decided to pursue the freelance route. Once I earned a little trust in the community, the work picked up and I had to hire my first designer and start thinking about a studio space. Seven years later, we’ve got a small team and some of the area’s most progressive clients to create work with.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any road in business is exactly smooth. We’ve had many moments, especially in the beginning, that was very challenging, wondering when the next check would come so we could cover rent and payroll. Both my wife, (Sarah) and I had quit our full-time jobs around the same time and were expecting our first child. The ‘smooth’ part in all of it was the work itself. This kind of work comes very naturally to me so I can’t really imagine doing anything else and it’s not an engine that gets cold or bored easily. As long as our clients are happy with our work, the referrals and continued trust are passed down the line to bring in more projects. Now our biggest challenge is finding the right people to work on our team and we’re actively looking for folks who want to help tell stories through creative problem-solving and great design.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Thoughtful design with your story in mind.
We use the necessary mediums to tell the client’s story, create an experience or solve problems through design. We specialize in brand identity design systems, which include logo design, marketing collateral, and photography. We provide boutique-level design services and we’re an established, reliable resource when hiring a freelancer isn’t the long-term solution. Our clients are business owners and entrepreneurs who value the power of design and clear communication. They understand that creating an experience begins with strategic thinking and an open mind. Whether it’s rebranding a business, building out a new campaign or designing your next website, we’ll be there with a pencil in hand, ready to listen.
I’m most proud of the level of work that we put into the community. By creating work that helps tell stories through design, we can help facilitate better communication in our area. We also take a lot of pride in our business model of designers who work directly with the clients instead of account managers. It’s more challenging to find designers who can communicate really well with clients AND produce fantastic work but that’s our preferred way of handling the work that comes our way.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to work with a mentor. I feel like I’ve been carving out this place on my own for the most part. I’ve often wished I had someone to show me a few of the ropes – especially on the business side. As for the creative side, I feel comfortable with my process and my ability to understand what needs to be accomplished and the level of which each project needs to reach before it goes out the door.
As an active networker in Duluth, I’ve had the most luck with my BNI Chapter. BNI (Business Networking International) is a really boring name for a really dynamic group that I’ve been involved with almost from the very beginning of Šek Design. Our group has 50 members and each person fills a ‘category’ and we all become preferred referrals for one another. In the case of this group, there’s only room for 1 person to represent the category (mine is Graphic Design). It’s a lot of work but it pays off in the long run. I can attribute 30-40% of our annual sales to connections in that group, not to mention, the wonderful personal connections I’ve made throughout the years. We meet every single week other than Thanksgiving and Christmas, 6:45 – 8:30 and it’s that accountability that makes the whole group successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sek-design.com/work/
- Instagram: @sek_design_studio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SekDsgn
Image Credits
Old Saw Media
