It was a slow and long process of trying many things before Farm Design Solopreneur learned how to face his fears and do the things that scared him. In the process, he not only transformed his company but emerged a stronger person. Hear his story about growing up in a small farming community in Montana from humble beginnings to having a thriving design company in Pasadena, where he and his team work on some of the coolest branding projects. Facing Your Fears In Design w/ Farm Design Founder Aaron Atchison. When the economy tanked, and work dried up, what can you do to get work. Why making the extra effort on your presentation can dramatically impact your business. 11:56 After I graduated college, I got a job as a creative director at an agency in Los Angeles. After 5 years, I decided to do my own thing. 23:02 My business and myself were really just on cruise-control, but in 2007 the housing market burst and the stock market went bonkers. 31:03 Crossroads: Do I just fail, or do I try to learn from my mistakes and do something with it? When the opportunities weren’t knocking, I felt like I needed to create my own opportunities. 33:57 Farming wisdom: “Feed the soil and not the plant.” If you focus on the foundation, then that crop will thrive and you’ll be sustainable; if not, that plant will eventually wither and die. 38:15 As a solopreneur, I was a really small plant in a small pot. What I needed to do was focus on the foundation and get a bigger pot so I could allow my roots to grow. 43:21 Having someone there to bounce ideas off of and share information stimulates and challenges you. 48:22 We transitioned into a portfolio that appealed to clientele that could afford to pay us. 49:05 Show work that exemplifies your capabilities and design skills. 56:00 Closing the Gap: Don't put the burden of work, the leap of faith, or the risk into the client’s hands. Instead, take responsibility for putting your best work out there. 59:53 Aaron's 3 Ps: Portfolio, Profit, and People. 1:09:04 Learn to talk business on a strategic level. 1:18:21 Don’t make a minor effort for a major result or a goal. Also, don’t make a major effort for a minor goal. -Jim Rohn 1:32:37 In order to grow you have to accept that you don’t know everything. When I hit rock bottom, I reassessed who I am and who I wanted to be. I wanted to do things that are greater than myself and to do things that are fulfilling. One of the greatest things that I’ve learned is the fulfilment of helping others become better people. For me, it’s no longer work. I’m not doing it for myself; I’m doing it to support and nurture my staff and my clients. That is the biggest reward. It's about seeing individuals that I work with succeeding in life. I just want to keep empowering people to empower people. I’m focusing on something beyond me. This isn’t just me; I’m trying to lead a team, and they’re the ones that are helping with the vision and guiding this path that we’re all going down. I’m just trying to pave the way. Aaron Atchison Farm Design http://www.farmdesign.net @farm_design IG Spec project that was referenced: http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2013/11/25/ol-boy-blues.html RESOURCES: Yellow Images 3d Mockups https://yellowimages.com Stocksy https://www.stocksy.com Shutter stock: https://www.shutterstock.com/home — This is the Futur of Education— Disrupting the design education paradigm. Want a deeper dive? We have courses on Typography, Lettering, Sales & Marketing, Social Media and The Business of Design here: https://goo.gl/bRt5qd — Keep the content flowing. We need your support today! Our goal is to get 20k fans to become a sustaining member for $5/mo by Jan 31, 2018. https://goo.gl/uKcJ3N LEARN & GROW CORE Strategy Kit:https://goo.gl/Uc3IKp Agency-In-A-Box Kit: https://goo.gl/lyEdjK Selling & Overcoming Objections: https://goo.gl/qS91x2 The Pitch Kit: https://goo.gl/MgZY6z The Perfect Proposal: https://goo.gl/XNF4ZH Visit our website: https://goo.gl/a4ZtAk See all of our free resources: https://goo.gl/Rf6zdc — OUR AFFILIATE LINKS* Skillshare: https://goo.gl/YCo2uT Amazon: https://goo.gl/K1bIhg Creative Market: https://goo.gl/g4jlTE Music from ArtList.io: http://goo.gl/22VpQi — Listen to the Futur podcast on iTunes: 🎙 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-futur/id1209219220?mt=2 Android Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/aaron/the-futur Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Itg3hr5bs4a54w73o2toxcr4vhe Sound Cloud https://soundcloud.com/thefuturishere — Connect with us online: 🔔 https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/ https://twitter.com/thefuturishere — Need brand strategy help? Visit Blind LA’s WEBSITE: http://blind.com — Credits: Executive Producer– Chris Do Host– Chris Do Cinematography– Aaron Szekely, Mark Contreras Editor– Erica Pead Futur Theme Music – Adam Sanborne http://www.adamsanborne.com Annotations– Isaiah Nwukor Typefaces: Futura, Din, Helvetica Futur theme song— Adam Sanborne