JAMES ANDREW SMITH

Every now and then, I ask fellow creatives a tough question— What do you do when a project is all set to take off, and then… nothing? Radio silence from the client. We’ve all been there: idle clients, unfinished contracts, and payments that seem like they’re lost in space. It’s uncomfortable to talk about, but in the creative industry, it happens more often than we’d like to admit. Late payments. No payments. And then that awkward follow-up dance begins. To keep things smooth, we put a policy in place. Simple but effective: 50% upfront. This way, we both have skin in the game. But here’s the truth—it’s still a balancing act. When payments are delayed, we’re left sending those “gentle reminder” emails, hoping it won’t hurt the relationship.  And while we try to manage it all with grace, it can lead to some serious cash flow problems. So here’s the question I’ve been reflecting on: How do you handle situations like these? What strategies have you found that protect your business, while keeping the creative energy alive? Let me know your thoughts—maybe we can all learn something new. #CreativeBusiness #ClientManagement #CashFlowChallenges #CreativeAgencyLife #EntrepreneurTips  

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Imagine stepping off a subway train and walking straight into a Starbucks. If I was trying to pitch this idea to Starbucks or another Brand - this could be the way to do it. In today’s competitive landscape, securing funding for a design installation or experience requires a compelling and innovative approach. One effective strategy is to use AI-generated videos to bring your vision to life. How would you use #ai video in your business? #design #experientialdesign #installation #funding #ai #runway #hailou

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Hat tip to Marshall Kirkpatrick for the recent book recommendation: IntraConnected by Daniel J. Siegel, MD where the concept of identity is deeply explored as both an internal and external experience—what Siegel refers to as "MWe," the integration of "Me" and "We." Below are a few thoughts on what I take away as a creative entrepreneur and agency builder. But first, a couple of initial passages that resonated: "... 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑—𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝, 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒—𝑖𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓." "... ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑, 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒. 𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦-𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓—𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒—𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠: 𝑎 𝑊𝑒, 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦. 𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛: 𝑀𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑊𝑒 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑀𝑊𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠." --- I find these ideas especially valuable for creatives of all kinds, as they highlight how relational awareness shapes both individual and collective identity. From personal experience, it's easy to become closed off—but recognizing that our sense of self is deeply intertwined with connections to others (e.g., clients, collaborators, and the broader community) can foster a greater sense of belonging and open doors to new, expansive ways of thinking. For those interested in an eye-opening read, I hope you enjoy ✌️ #identity #entrepreneurship

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What I love about branding consulting is the all-encompassing approach to design. It doesn’t just focus on the aesthetics and visuals of your organization, but the entire business structure and operations. It humanizes your company into an organization your target audience can relate to. Do you have a business or entrepreneurial idea that you want to bring to life? Before you start thinking about a website or a logo, consider a branding session. Let’s turn a ball of ideas into a concrete organization. Send me an email at [email protected] to schedule a free consultation today!

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Know your audience is not just a say or a brand person cliché. Pretending you know what people need does not mean you know your customer. Good design requires a humble attitude, of not being an I know it all kinda person. Test your ideas and never ever stop asking.

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The future of your company is begging for more “We Space.” ”We Space” is the part of your workplace that fosters collaboration and socialization throughout. I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of conflicting messaging around WFH on LinkedIn. There’s a lot of considerations there, but I can say this: people still want to connect with others. 88% of Gen Z prefer a collaborative work culture over a competitive one (Workforce Institute at Kronos) What if your spaces encouraged and enhanced collaboration by providing different options tailored to how your teams work best? #workplacedesign #workplaceculture #workplaceculturematters #hybridwork #employeeengagement

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Why we should all take a lead from the Geico Gecko If I were starting a brand today the one thing I would seriously consider is creating a brand character If that seems like some throw back to 1980's cereal brands then the data would back you up as incidents of brand characters in award winning IPA entries has tumbled dramatically from around 40% to 15% over that time. They really aren't that fashionable today. But you ignore them at your peril because they are one of the most powerful advertising tools out there Orlando Wood who describes them in his incredible book Look Out as "character fluent devices" has shown that they have a profound impact on business results get a copy you won't regret it!) Take the 2024 Super Bowl for example. Had you used a celebrity like most advertisers then the average Star score (emotional response) was exactly the same as those without one. However had you used a branded character then on average you would have seen a massive 1 Star advantage over non characters & celebrities. Add to the fact that they don't charge the same fees as a celebrity and its the Advertising effectiveness bargain of the century! In the latest episode of Uncensored CMO I caught up with the very clever Michelle Moscone (she/her) who is in charge of brand and creative at Geico about the importance of their famous Gecko which is 30 years old now She puts it in a beautifully simply way that the Gecko enables the audience to have a really fast connection with the brand in a lovable way creating a short cut for your brand and message. It's well worth reading Jenni Romaniuk's brilliant book called Distinctive Brand Assets which covers a lot of research on types of assets and how they work. Link to the episode in the comments section below Jon Lombardo Peter Weinberg Vanessa Chin Andrew Tindall Kerry Collinge

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In the classic Annie Hall movie, Woody Allen’s character memorably said, “A relationship is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies.” Brands are a lot like sharks. To avoid dying, they’ve got to keep moving forward and that means they must innovate, even luxury brands. Get our latest white paper to help luxury brands bridge the innovation gap. #luxurybrands #innovation #brandmanagement

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Are the spaces we work and live in fueling burnout? In today’s fast-paced world, many of us experience burnout—whether it's from the pressures of work, caregiving, or simply the overwhelming demands of modern life. But how often do we stop to consider the impact of our spaces on this feeling of exhaustion? The environments we occupy every day—our offices, homes, schools, and care settings—can either add to our stress or help alleviate it. Harsh lighting, lack of natural elements, and poor air quality create spaces that disconnect us from nature, leaving us feeling drained and overwhelmed. Imagine stepping into a room filled with natural light, greenery, and materials that reflect the outside world. These elements are proven to reduce stress and increase feelings of wellbeing. Spaces that embrace biophilic design can help restore balance, improve productivity, and most importantly, combat burnout by fostering a deeper connection to nature. It’s time to rethink the spaces we use and design environments that actively support our mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s incorporating plants into your office or reimagining care environments, small changes can have a big impact. Let’s create spaces that revive, not exhaust. How are you incorporating nature into your space to promote wellbeing? 🌿 #biophilicdesign #burnoutprevention #wellbeing #designforwellbeing #mentalhealth #nature #natureinspired #wellness #healthyspaces #environment #mentalhealthmatters

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It's estimated that 1 in 10 adults fear failure, though I suspect this estimate may be conservative. In my seven years of researching Design Thinkers, change, and innovation, the fear of failure has emerged in every dataset. The common narrative suggests that from an early age, we're socialized to avoid failure. School emphasizes the importance of "the right answers", rewarding success in tests and penalizing failure. As we transition into the working world, we continue this pattern, striving to do "the right things" and avoid mistakes. Over time, we internalize a mantra: success equals reward, while failure leads to punishment. After consistently doing "the right things" and avoiding mistakes we might earn a promotion or a raise. As we advance in our careers, we're expected to innovate, think creatively, drive change and we are expected to do it all while avoiding failure. Does this sound familiar? Can you relate? The truth is, if we want innovation and change, we must shift our perspective on failure. In episode 24 of the Design Thinker Podcast, our guest Chris Taylor discusses the unavoidable reality of failure and provides advice on how to adapt our relationship with change. 🎧 You can listen to the episode here 👉🏽 https://bit.ly/dtpep24, or on your favorite podcast platform. #designthinkers #designthinking #podcast #podcastepisdoe #fearoffailure

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The devil is in the detail. There aren’t many brands that can boast 150 year history. This is something any brand should be incredibly proud of. Pedigree, speaks of trust, tradition, craftsmanship, and a timeless quality and needs to be handled in a way that celebrates that tradition. So it’s important that this is communicated with a suitable visual shortcut on-pack. I stumbled across these drinks from Ben Shaws recently, a brand which is proud to boast this sort of tradition. I have to say the front of pack, rather than be a celebration of rich history, was constructively speaking, a jumbled mess. The logo is far too fussy and busy with excessive ornamentation that only serves to remove legibility. Supermarket brands need to work successfully from a couple of metres away so that you can immediately decode their USP. This ornamentation could have easily been reduced and handled in a more subtle way. It doesn’t help that much of the front of pack is taken up by the dog illustration which when doing a bit of a deep dive into the brand, has no relationship to the story. Successfully communicating tradition on pack is not about piling, multiple ornamental details onto something which only serves overpower the brand logo. In many cases, less is more. The devil as they say, is in the detail.#Packaging, #Marketing, #Branding, #Design —————————————— If you like this post then subscribe to my monthly newsletter. The aim of this is to give advice to brand owners and marketeers who are looking to make their branding & packaging design more relevant. 👉 https://lnkd.in/ep3uG9kv —————————————— Click the 🔔 on my profile to stay up to date and/or share with your network. ——————————————

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🌎 Perspectives from the Toy Industry My good friend Roberto from El Segundo made an interesting point: it’s not the location that makes us cool. Quality toys and products do! Isn’t it Roberto Cavalli ? 🇭🇰 🗽 Whether it's Hong Kong, LA, or Distoy, the number of fairs can be overwhelming and costly. These high costs shouldn’t be passed on the toys themselves. In today’s market we are not in fashion luxury industry with high margin !!! People seems that they are selling toys as Hermes bags that people are desperate to buy do you think kids are putting in a waiting list for a Kelly bag 💼? Be realistic !!! 🎯 Instead of investing heavily in fairs, I’ve shifted focus towards impactful marketing.going to vsit directly the customer and investing in helping in customer to promote the itmes . 👋 Greetings from Dubai! The vibrant desert here is more bustling than some streets in El Segundo right now. Let’s adapt and thrive together! Btw great post also in Spanish of Federico Machabanski #ToyIndustry #MarketingStrategy #Innovation #MarketAdaptation #DubaiVibes

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Amazon's 5-days-a-week return to office mandate is about control, not 'culture.'; also the CEO speaks out of both sides of his mouth. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy published a memo that, among other things, makes clear that starting at the beginning of next year, Amazon employees are mandated to be in the office 5 days a week. https://lnkd.in/gqzceCqE Amazon is a famously data-driven company, using A/B testing and other quantitative means to make decisions. So, where is the evidence? In his memo, he claims the benefits are: "we’ve observed that it’s easier for our teammates to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture; collaborating, brainstorming, and inventing are simpler and more effective; teaching and learning from one another are more seamless; and, teams tend to be better connected to one another." He even cites a prior post of his that laid this out. But when you read that prior post (https://lnkd.in/gVnQG7e4), while he says these things, he provides no evidence. Just 'we observed,' without saying who is the 'we' and what, exactly was observed. When I ask people I know who work at Amazon about whether they are shared compelling evidence, the answer is, "No." (And, if you're looking for evidence, there's plenty to suggest that work-from-home has no material impact on performance, and a positive impact on retention: https://lnkd.in/ghHUpP79) Additionally, earlier in the memo, when Jassy addresses a need to reduce the percentage of managers, he claims that this to increase their sense of 'ownership.' But, it's telling that he is then limiting where people 'own' their time. If he truly that Amazon should 'behave like a startup' and provide teams ownership for their own destiny, he'd leave it up to them to determine where they worked. But he doesn't, which makes it clear that this move is about control. Specifically, the executive suite seeking to take control back from employees about where and how work is done.

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Anyone buying “luxury” bags is an idiot 🤣 Italian prosecutors just uncovered that Dior pays only $57 to produce bags retailing for $2,780!!! Jubbly??? As a designer, I've always said that I don't sell just visuals, design, or logos - I sell a story, impact, brand identity, and market distinction. Likewise luxury brands like Dior. They charge exorbitant prices for their perceived value, not the actual product quality. In this case, I on the other hand, create great designs without the hefty price tag. Currently, my brand may be nameless just like my featured section, but I know you'd love to be in my 'nameless' section regardless ⚡🥷 So, if you're ready, I am! Let's collaborate! #web3 #blockchain #logodesign #designer

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This month, my Foundry Management & Technology focuses on apologies. How they happen in business (or don't) can impact your brand. #branding #communications #marketingstrategy https://lnkd.in/gQP4J9Gb

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In a lively chat during an Intel Research presentation (2004-09-16), JGM and TJG tackled topics that would make even Einstein's head spin. As the presenter dished out ideas faster than a game show host, the duo dove into the architectural genius of triangles, DNA's starring role in the never-ending soap opera of life, and the Zen-like concept of Tensegrity, courtesy of our pal Bucky Fuller. Between references to crystal meditation and a nucleic acid crystallization kit that puts LEGO to shame, it's clear this was an absolute mind-blowing event. One thing's for sure, Intel Research certainly knows how to put the "fun" in "fundamental concepts of existence." As TJG said, it was destiny to be there, and judging by the conversation, it was an enlightening ride that left everyone buzzing with excitement and amusement. JGM: hi TJG: hi - thanks for the invite, must call in JGM: was that you? TJG: yep just beeped in TJG: can u hear anything? JGM: not yet JGM: a lot of noise TJG: "the topic here is not MERELY the secret of life..." JGM: Not merely no little thing like that TJG: what slide? is there a netmeeting? JGM: seeman.09.15.04.ppt TJG: thanks - it is slow to load JGM: I think we are all hitting at once!!! JGM: its 48megs big JGM: Let me know when you get it TJG: got it - sorry, staring at the GATTACA TJG: let me make this crystal clear... JGM: not crystal not crystallographer TJG: is the real secret of life TJG: NOO - not self-replicating systems - beware the NANITES JGM: meditate for crystals TJG: yes enlightened one - meditation is much more effective TJG: Why DNA? Because it is there... JGM: Cause I have some right here TJG: Weaving DNA - technology at its finest - from the root "technos" meaning to weave JGM: the revered octahedron. ahhh uuumm aahh (soft chanting in the background) TJG: Bucky would be very pleased - how about a 3D array of octahedron and tetrahedron - the venerable octet truss? JGM: ahmmm aaaaa allmmmmmm the venerable tetrahedronnnnnnn JGM: who JGM: what JGM: did he say bucky TJG: ohh man I missed it - Gfelner walked into my cube - did he really mention Bucky? JGM: PUT UP THE DO NOT DISTURB SHIELD Photo taken 2006-06-14 shown left to right: John G Miner, Joe Hegarty and Tom Greenbaum.

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Here’s the surprising secret to becoming a leader: “As a leader, you have the capacity to gather people around your ideas in ways that don’t strip them of ownership in the process.” Henry Beer Leadership is never being the loudest voice in the room. If it were, it would be easy, right? But real leadership, the kind that leaves a lasting impact, is a delicate dance between charting a clear path and ensuring your team feels genuine ownership of that path. Here’s how you can do it: 💬 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁. As a leader, you’re the visionary. But don’t confuse having a vision with micromanaging the process. When you share your vision, do it with passion, but also with an open hand. Invite your team to mold and shape it with their own ideas. You’ll be surprised at how a small tweak from a team member can elevate the entire concept. 💬 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. This isn’t just about giving tasks—it’s about giving trust. When you hand off a piece of the project, let your team members run with it. Trust their expertise and creativity. Ownership isn’t about delegation; it’s about making each person feel like an architect of the final product. 💬 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. When the project succeeds, shine the spotlight on the team. Mention their names, celebrate their contributions, and show that the victory belongs to everyone. This builds a culture of ownership, where everyone feels invested in the outcome. Why does this work? Because people don’t just want to follow a leader—they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. When you give them ownership, you’re not just getting their hands; you’re getting their hearts and minds. And that’s where the magic happens: gather your team, share your vision, and let them take the reins alongside you. That’s leadership that lasts. What do you think? How do you balance leading with empowering? Share your thoughts below—I’d love to hear from you! -- Enjoy this? ♻️ Share the post with others and follow me for more. 🔔 #Leadership #Teamwork #Creativity #Vision

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Insights on leadership can come from expected and unexpected sources. We asked 2,000+ global CEOs and directors where they go for inspiration, insights and even examples of what not to do. Their answers might surprise you. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e6FPHtYS

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