Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Baker.
Hi Scott, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My father, Scott Baker Sr, founded BAKER Branding in the 1970s. He started his career as an illustrator, and when BAKER was incorporated, we slowly evolved into graphic design. I’ve been around BAKER my entire life in one form or another, even sleeping over at the office with my dad as he worked (and I got to drink Squeeze-It’s and eat Lucky Charms which my mom never allowed). I started working at BAKER (and getting paid for my ideas) in the summers after high school and in between tours with my rock band at the time, doing odd jobs and helping out where I could. I learned everything possible about the business, which has served me well over the years. I started working full-time in 2011 in New Business, learning from my mentors, and in that role began working with clients on the account service side. I am now the President of his company, continuing Dad’s legacy today. Reminding myself of why I’m here and what I’m working for helps me gain the confidence to be brave and take risks; it’s all for a higher purpose.
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?
Absolutely not, I don’t believe in that concept. Struggle is key to a successful journey. Dad passed away in 2021, I was 35 at the time, and my daughter was born in February the following year. While I was on maternity leave I discovered my mother wanted me to take over the family business. In a matter of 10 months my life had completely flipped upside down. To be a resilient person, the universe tests you in ways that will bring you to your knees. It’s during the days, weeks, months that followed I dedicated myself to mental and physical health. I dedicated myself to the greater good; being a servant to BAKER. Being selfless became my pursuit, and I found new struggles I never had before to keep that mentality consistent. I try to arrive to work every morning with the exact same energy and focus, so new challenges are met with the same process and dedication. It’s easy to fall into a rut, and seemingly impossible to crawl back out to do it all over again with a big smile on my face. I respect the greatest athletes to ever live, because they were never focused on the end goal; they were obsessed with the process of getting there. That is their fuel; the journey is great.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
BAKER is a brand strategy and design agency known for impactful creative that solves heavy business challenges for our clients. Our experience over the years has given us the ability to translate tough business objectives into powerful packaging, marketing services, photography and many other creative mediums. We promise to create lasting impressions. Anyone that met Dad remembered him for many years, because he was the type of person that made you feel like the smartest person in the room; he didn’t have the ego to try to prove HE was the smartest person, even when he was. That was his magic, and we try to embody that spirit everyday by making our clients look good. We approach every client the same, no matter if they’re a start-up or a Fortune 500 company. We believe that’s what sets us apart from others, and we’re very proud of this collaborative trait. Our employees are hands-on, go-getters; which is impactful when combined their incredible talent. Solving these tough business objectives effectively doesn’t happen without intelligent creativity, that’s what you get when working with us.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Because of my unique position, taking over a company Dad built, I knew I needed to be genuine. I had some credibility as a hard worker, because I had been around so long, but I didn’t become President and start barking out orders at people. It takes extreme discipline in every single interaction with people to prove you are genuine. My advice would be to focus on that. If you love what you do, and have identified purpose in your role; approach every day like you’re going to learn a lot and be excited for the challenges ahead. Another lesson is knowing your role. Dad always told me “enjoy being the youngest person in the room”. What he meant by that is enjoy the time where nobody expects you to have every answer, and to learn as much as you can from your superiors. I’ve taken that to heart and become very good at listening. I celebrate people’s work, and now as President, I put them in the best position for them to succeed. Key to all this: I ask them how to do it. When I listen to my people, the company as a whole flourishes. This is very difficult to do, because I don’t always agree with them. But we come together and have the tough conversations on strategy and plans, and move forward as a team. We go back to review the outcomes later without second-guessing ourselves. We learn from successes or failures and apply that to the next project.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bakerbranding.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkrdsn/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/baker/
