Why you should never use “Lorem Ipsum” again
I’ll admit, I’ve been hating “Lorem Ipsum” nonsense ever since I’ve become a graphic designer. Here, full disclosure, yes, I am biased. But it’s; not just an irrational hate. I’ll explain.
Read moreAbout me - I don't charge for not cutting corners. I charge for knowing when to cut them and when not to.
I've made my first website back in 1998, when I didn't even have internet at home. I opened some Fallout HTML help files with a Notepad by accident and started experimeting with it. Something about writing a bunch of text symbols in plain Notepad and then watch them turn into a web page felt like magic.
I was very shy kid back then, but I reached out to a local marketing agency, and asked them if they needed a web designer. They laughed at the awkward teen and said they didn't, but what they did need was someone to distribute flyers around town.
This had terrified me, bceause I couldn't imagine even talking to strangers. But I decided it will help me get over my shyness and get on the agency's good side. So I went ahead and started knocking on doors.
Soon they made me a part-time designer. And this is when I started learning about design. At first, it was just the technical stuff: the color theory, composition, typography, all that.
But slowly I started to realize, that nobody cares about great design. What the client does care was how much money that design could help them make.
At the time, I was too vain, and didn't want to admit it. So I was still trying to do "great design". But overtime it started to eat me up. What was even the value the client was getting out of this?
By then I expanded into video production and motion graphics. I would use the clients' budgets to fulfill my own creative needs. And then it hit me. I had realized, it was absolutely selfish and disingenuous.
So I started to focus on creating my own products, so as not to have to be dependent on clients. I hired the best salesman in the city. I poached him from a really big company actually. And we started working together.
But soon I realised, that he was not brining it any clients, even if he was talking to them all the time. He simply didn't understand the product and didn't want to. And he probably also didn't think we could pull it off.
It was at that moment that I realized, that I had to do it myself. Which had terrified me once again, because I was still not very good at talking to people. But after learning more about sales, I discovered passion for it, I could never even think I had.
I started combining my production skills with my newly discovered passion for sales and marketing. And I found my superpower: connecting with people on deep level, and applying my versatile toolset to help them grow their business.
- Years of experience
- 20+
- Clients
- 300+
- Value generated
- $15M+
My values - Love and care at the core of everything I do
I'm outcome independent. I control how I play. I do not control the outcome.
This allows me to dedicate 100% of my attention to something I can control, which is the process, as opposed to stressing about something I can not — which is the outcome.
- Authenticity
I only ever take on a project, when I'm absolutely positive I can bring value. Creating something useful — is a good ROI. Investing my time into building something nobody needs, just to make a quick buck — is the worst waste of time. And is also pathetic. - Transparency
Life is a series of interactions. Interactions are based on communication. So there is zero sense in distorted communication. Bad information leads to bad decisions. Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes. - Extreme Ownership
I own my wins and mistakes with equal amount of dedication, because my value is not attached to my performance or outcomes, and making mistakes and learning from them is the only way to grow. This makes me both fearles and reliable as a Colt revolver, because I never falter in taking responsibility for what I've done.
From the articles
I love creating different pieces of the product and then putting them together. I'm not jealous of sharing the work. I utilize designers, developers, illustrators, writers and any other specialists with the same joy and confidence as when I work alone.