Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Hagen.
Hi Zachary, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs. On both sides of my family, my grandparents owned small businesses. I spent my younger years watching them build their businesses and take pride in their work. From then on, it felt inevitable that I would one day try to build a business of my own. I began my work as a freelancer while still in high school, offering a mix of photography, video, and graphic design services to local businesses in my hometown of Janesville, MN. At that time, I felt that I needed a name to tie my services to—that’s when the idea of Hagen Creative was conceived. While attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and during my first few years of working as an independent designer in New York City, the name “Hagen Creative” went through a few iterations. At that time, it represented only me. Today, Hagen Creative is a collective made up of myself (Creative Director), Ray Smith (Graphic Designer), and Alex Samek (Videographer). We are currently based in Northeast Minneapolis, in our first studio space, located at The Foundry on Stinson. In our work, we focus on branding, photo/video production, and content creation for brands based in NYC, LA and Minneapolis.
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?
Any person who sets out on their own will surely encounter some bumps in the road. I quickly realized there were so many non-design skills I’d need to develop to be successful as a business owner. Skills like accounting, writing contracts, managing clients, and delegating responsibilities did not always come naturally to me. With much trial and error, I’ve picked up these skills along the way—sometimes having to learn the hard way! No doubt there will be more bumps in the road, but I’m thankful to have the continued support of my wife, Laura, my friends, family, and the people I work with. With their support, I’m excited about what the future holds for Hagen Creative.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Hagen Creative?
We are a creative studio focused on branding, photo/video production, and content creation. What that means is that we work with brands and individuals to help them develop creative assets that effectively communicate the ethos of their brand. On any given day, we might be designing a logo, shooting promotional videos, capturing a look book or coming up with campaigns for email and social media marketing. Currently, most of our clients are based on the east or west coast, but as we become more established in the Minneapolis community, we’re looking forward to working with more local businesses in the Twin Cities area. So, If you’re a MN-based business owner in-need of a creative partner, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
To me, the risk seems inherent to starting a small business. You run the risk of failure, the risk of putting yourself out there and wasting your time, money, and effort. That being said, all of those risks pale compared to getting to do what you love. Over the years, I’ve tried to be smart about growing Hagen Creative slowly and scaling the business within our means, but I’ve never stopped betting on myself. Today, I am confident that we have an incredibly talented team ready to take on all kinds of creative assignments, and we’re eager to show off our skills on bigger and bigger projects. So with a healthy dose of respect, I say, f*ck the risks.
Pricing:
- If you’re interested in our services, please reach out for pricing information.
Contact Info:
- Website: hagen-creative.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hagencreative
Image Credits
Photography and design work by Hagen Creative
