Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Mitzel.
Hi Sam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up, I loved to draw and paint and always had a huge passion for art, but I never knew where my creativity could take me. I worried about being the “starving artist,” so I didn’t see a clear path forward. During high school and into college, I worked full-time at a food packaging factory, spending 12-hour shifts packing pouches before heading to class the next morning. It wasn’t glamorous, but it ended up shaping everything.
I didn’t even know my way around a computer at the time, but standing on those factory floors, I found myself staring at the designs and illustrations on the packaging. I became curious about how they were made and dug into the process. It opened up an entirely new world for me. I became fascinated with packaging and design and started taking an interest in brands. I started to see how creativity could live beyond paper and pencil, become three-dimensional, and exist in people’s everyday lives. Suddenly, brands, logos, and packaging made sense to me in a whole new way.
While In school, I had a teacher who knew my background with illustration and he shared an internship opportunity with me. I was lucky enough to land that internship at Creative Memories, a beloved scrapbooking company. I illustrated stickers, papers, and products, and it was my first real taste of bringing design to life in people’s hands. A couple of years, the scrapbook market shifted, which led me to my first agency role.
My agency journey began in St. Cloud, at a small shop that grew into three locations, including Minneapolis. I spent five of the best years of my career there, surrounded by a group of women who shaped me into the creative and thinker I am today. When it was time to grow, I made the hardest move of my career which was leaving a place I loved so I could try to level my career up and be closer to a major creative hub with more future opportunities.
I was fortunate enough to have worked with an incredible Executive Creative Director, Mike Fetrow, who helped me boost my confidence and offered me a job at a small agency he just joined called Fame. So, my fiancé, teacup chihuahua, and I packed up and moved to Plymouth, and I started working in downtown Minneapolis, in the historic Rand Tower.
Not long after that, the tower was converted into a hotel, so we moved into a couple of different coworking spaces. Then COVID hit (WOOF). Despite navigating the pandemic and constant changes, our team did some of our best work that we were so proud of. Eventually, we were acquired by the largest independent agency in Minneapolis.
It was an incredible learning experience, but I also realized how much I missed being part of a small, scrappy, all-in team where every voice mattered and our small team was shaping big things together. I started to feel like a number instead of a key part of the creative heartbeat. It almost felt like I was moving backward in my career, further from the type of collaborative, hands-on work that energized me and I knew that was a feeling I would never get back at such a large agency.
By that point, I had built a strong freelance base, and I started to wonder, “What if I just did this thing on my own?”I loved the idea of working directly with founders, staying hands-on creatively, bringing in experts as needed, and having the autonomy to build a life with more balance, maybe even a family someday (which never felt possible before in the traditional agency grind).
So, I amped it up and started freelancing full-time…while still working full-time at the agency. It nearly killed me, but it gave me the clarity I needed and on May 1, 2025, with the support of my fiancé, I made the leap. The date felt symbolic, it was also the day Lynne Robinson (the former owner of Fame) had gained independence when she bought her company from a holding company years earlier and she called it her May 1, Day 1. I always loved that story, and it almost came full-circle in a way because May 1 became my day independence day Day too.
A few months later, in October 2025, I officially launched my studio, No Ordinary Design. Today, NOD blends big-agency thinking with small-studio soul. I get to partner closely with brands and founders, create the work I believe in, and tell stories that feel bold, human, and intentional. It’s the most fulfilling chapter of my career and it’s only just getting started.
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?
OOPS I literally filled the entire thing in on the last question. I would say the balance of juggling everything and building up a network freelancing was the hardest because I never got a break.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
No Ordinary Design is a branding and creative studio specializing in strategic branding, creative direction, illustration, and packaging design.
I work with both emerging and established brands to create or evolve their identities, develop packaging that stands out in the real world, and design visual systems that feel expressive, thoughtful, and strategically crafted. My approach blends big-agency strategic thinking with the agility and soul of a small studio, allowing me to stay close to the work while guiding the broader vision.
When projects call for expanded capes, I bring in other creatives to round-out the team from writers, developers, photographers, to animators and more. Over the years, I’ve built a strong network of talented creatives who I consider my friends. We push each other and share creative chemistry and chemistry which elevates the work. This setup allows me to scale up when a project needs it, but stay scrappy when needed too. This is good for both my business and my clients.
Ultimately, NOD exists to help brands find their edge and show up in a way that’s anything but ordinary.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about Minneapolis is the energy. The creativity, the hustle, the community, and how easy it is to meet with clients, collaborators, and other creatives. I still go into the city often for meetings, networking, and inspiration, and I appreciate how many talented people and great ideas live there.
At the same time, I live in the northwest metro on a 6 acres of land surrounded by trees and wildlife, and I love the peace and clarity that comes from having that space. It’s a nice balance between the buzz of the city and the calm of home.
As for dislikes, I don’t have many, maybe just the winter slush by the time march hits, and the never-ending construction detours. But overall, Minnesota has been an incredible place to live, work, and build a creative career and life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.noordinarydesignco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/no.ordinary.design/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noordinarydesignco/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-ordinary-design
