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“When what easily could have been a life shattering blow was dealt to one Texan, he made his own luck and took a well planned gamble. See how he transitioned from a high-paid executive to a freelancer, and went on to create a thriving agency.”
David Smith was featured in the November 2011 issue of HOW Magazine, a highly regarded international publication showcasing renowned print and interactive design from around the world. The article describes Smiths experience starting the graphic design agency, his vision, and his success in growing the firm over the past 10 years. Below are a few excerpts from the article.
– “I was a guy on a mission. From the beginning, I imagined the agency I was about to build, and I acted as if I was already there,” he says. Envision Creative Group was the first name that hit him. It spoke as much about his own business ambitions as it did a client’s design concerns: “If they can envision it, we can make it happen,” Smith says. “I wanted to be the solution provider for my clients. A lot of freelancers draw the line at doing just graphic design, and that’s fine if they want to specialize. But I thought like an agency: I’d find the right partnerships to accomplish the tasks my clients would need; and I’d focus on my expertise.”
– Within the next three to five years, Smith aims to stand out as a major, national player in the food and beverage industry, and take on more Fortune 500 clients. This year, as he celebrates a decade in business, he reflects: “Even though I originally never planned on starting my own company, and with everything going against us initially—lack of experience running an agency born in post-9-11 economic strife, and amidst the tremendous amount of competition in Austin— we’ve persevered over the years and stuck to the original, guiding principle of making a difference for the client, while having fun.”
If you’d like to learn more about HOW magazine or get some inspiration from top designers from around the world, visit their website.
