TALA provided us with lawyers and accountants to meet one-on-one with attendees.

The event was well received and the day was set full of appointments, along with a few walk-ins. Topics for discussion included contract questions, how to file taxes as a freelancer, nonprofit filing, business start-up questions, and photography rights as a photographer.

Spacetaker also had an open studio day going on during the TALA event that provided the perfect relaxed atmosphere for people to look around at the displayed art while waiting to go in for their appointments.

—–

LET’S MAKE MISTAKES
Mike Monteiro, Katie Gillum
5by5 Network

Mike Monteiro has become something of a cult hero among designers – particularly freelancers and small studio owners – for his March 2011 CreativeMornings talk, “F*ck You, Pay Me” (fans of Goodfellas should recognize the reference), a frank discussion about dealing with clients and protecting your work and business (video embedded after the jump – as the title would imply, the language is a bit salty and may be NSFW). But even before that, Monteiro was co-founder and Design Director of Mule Design (muledesign.com), a highly successful San Francisco-based web development studio.

Soon after “FY,PM” became viral online, Monteiro and his Mule Design colleague, Katie Gillum, were asked by Dan Benjamin’s excellent 5by5 podcasting network to host a podcast of their own based on their experience as design professionals in a new-media world. Their frank discussions about how to survive and thrive in the competitive world of professional design – especially in a market as cut-throat as Silicon Valley can be – is what inspired the podcast’s title, Let’s Make Mistakes. Humorous, curmudgeonly, topical and always informative, Let’s Make Mistakes has been a personal favorite of mine since the first episode, and one whose weekly sync on my iPod I always look forward to. In every subject discussed – from “why waiting to be inspired is bullsh*t” to Star Wars trivia or the Philadelphia Philies (Mike is a die-hard fan), Let’s Make Mistakes is easily worth your time and attention. Mike’s Twitter feed, @Mike_FTW, is also worth a follow.

You can subscribe to Let’s Make Mistakes via iTunes.

If you have a podcast, lecture or series you’d like to recommend for us to share with the AIGA Houston community, send submissions to education (at) houston.aiga.org.

Stay tuned for future installments, where we’ll cover Design Matters w/ Debbie Millman, Back to Work, GreyScaleGorilla and others.

Video after the jump…

2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from San Francisco Creative Mornings on Vimeo.

I would like to believe that 99% blog is written just for me. Every morning I wake up to my BlackBerry twitter feed of a mash up of the99percent and AIGAdesign. Sprinkle in a little VeerUpdate and I’m a happy girl getting ready to conquer my list of to dos set before me for the day. My morning routine consists of the following: BlackBerry calendar, check; planner [MyAgenda ROCKS], check; Outlook work calendar, check; Paper Source desktop calendar, check; and of course my favorite task list(s), AIGA gmail account and personal gmail account, check and check. Then I realize that I have now just spent 30 minutes of productivity checking all my calendars! I refuse to condense all of them into one calendar for the simple fact that what will be staring me in the face is a list to overwhelm even an overachiever! From the time I wake up until the time I hit the bed, I am constantly checking off completed items and making room for new ones.

So, back to my original statement, I feel as if the writers of 99% are in fact writing for me! Here are my top 5 entries on how to achieve freedom of the to do list. For if I am to accomplish my set agenda as president, be a great employee, and have a personal life; organizing my long to do list is #1 on my to do list!

1. Planning and executing a productive work schedule
- What has to get done by the end of the day?
- What would I like to get done by the end of the day, but won’t lose my job if I don’t?

2. If It Won’t Fit On A Post-It, It Won’t Fit In Your Day
Have you ever had a to-do list that was so long it felt like you’d never get to the end of it? Or have you ever started the day with a manageable list, but by the end of the afternoon it was longer than when you began – because of all the things that got added during the day? Too many days like this, and your to-do list starts to look like a wish list.

3. How Analog Rituals Can Amp Your Productivity
The manual labor involved with productivity is valuable. Repetitive rituals will make you pause.
You will feel burdened, but you will also catch a glimpse of just how busy you are
and what you should prioritize.

4. Reclaim Focus, One Day at a Time
A lack of focus is at the root of this problem. Constant shifts mean that no task receives the proper attention. Instead, each is carried out in the most automatic (and quick!) way possible.

5. Working Better: How to Take On a Passion Project When You Have a Job
The key to finally doing the thing you always said you wanted to do is committing to it (and committing to yourself) in very practical ways.

Here’s one of the many times that we need to stand together as a design community and voice our opinions.  Submit your your emails to IRS by Wednesday the 29th.

original post from aiga.org

by Richard Grefé
September 15, 2010

One provision of the new healthcare reform legislation may significantly influence the administrative burdens of your business unless the IRS interprets it in a way that recognizes the challenges of small business. As of now, the legislation states that, beginning in 2012, if you pay any person or corporation more than $600 in a year for goods or services with cash or a check, you must report that to both the IRS and the entity or person whom you paid with a 1099 form.

In the past this only applied to services from unincorporated individuals or enterprises. But under this new provision, for example, if you bought $600 worth of toner cartridges from a big box store with cash or credit, you would have to issue a 1099 to the company from which you made the purchase (and if you were on the receiving end, you would need to report the 1099 transactions separately from gross revenues, presumably).

The IRS seems to be developing an exemption for credit and debit card transactions, although it has not yet been finalized.

The good news is that the IRS has asked for comments from the public. Please copy and paste the sample letter below, edit it as you choose (adding the strength of your reaction or personal examples, though in civil terms) and email it to notice.comments@irscounsel.treas.gov. Please be sure that the subject line of your email references Notice 2010-51 and note that your email must be sent by September 29, 2010.

We understand the government’s desire to track cash transactions, but the current system would impose an unacceptable record-keeping and reporting burden on small businesses like yours.

Don’t hesitate to copy your Senators and Congress person, with a little “Save small business! Help us!” note or something similar.

Thank you for your support (and your membership in AIGA).

Sample email to send to the IRS:

To: notice.comments@irscounsel.treas.gov

Subject: Notice 2010-51

I am a creative professional operating in a small business environment. We believe there are approximately 140,000 other designers operating as small businesses or within small studios in the United States.

Notice 2010-51 reports amendments to Section 6041 that would increase the record-keeping and reporting responsibilities of my business beyond our current capacity and would increase our costs as a small business. To this extent, we believe this would be a burden that outweighs the revenue potential of the action, would stifle growth in this sector in these economic times, and would impose an inequitable burden on small business.

The two elements of the amendment that are onerous are the need to report purchases of “property,” (which would appear to include all goods), and the extension of the reporting requirements to purchases from incorporated entities.

The proposed exemption for credit and debit card transactions was a great step toward reducing the impact of this change in the tax code. Unfortunately, it does not go far enough.

Every small studio makes regular purchases of supplies, printing, paper and equipment in excess of $600 and may often pay by cash or check. If all purchases are made by credit cards to avoid the reporting requirements, it can reduce the credit available for typical working capital requirements of small businesses.

We respectfully recommend that you take steps that will not diminish the vital role that small business plays in generating economic activity, productive employment and innovation by proposing rules that:

• Set the threshold reporting level at $5,000
• Exempt reporting requirements for small businesses with 25 or fewer employees
• Establish the exemption for credit and debit cards
• Limit the requirement to staffing expenses

Thank you for considering our position. Adopting of any of our recommendations, if not all, would reduce the burden.

Sincerely,
[your name, contact info and address]

I’ve always found that when you surround yourself with great people, you get better too. What designer doesn’t want to be around people who strive to constantly improve, question everything and are always looking at the world in new ways? The best designers ask “what if…” with every challenge.

Being around other designers, whether at work or through the general design community, means that I’m always exposed to new ideas and perspectives. Sometimes my own views are challenged, but that’s part of what makes our profession inspiring. In this video, as well as Joanna’s podcast, you can see why it’s important to get out into the design community and share ideas.

Other important lessons here… bring your passion to your work, be brave and bold with your choices and collaborate with others.

Hope you enjoyed. Please share your favorite advice too!

Question: Ask Ken – corporate clients and small biz

Hi there. I am a freelancer who has a DBA and has been freelancing for 15 years. I have always had either a short-term onsite corporate assignment or corporate work from home via my agent (high level work), which has kept my cash flow steady. Last year much of that work went away and I am trying to land my own corporate clients. I love my small business clients but I cannot live on their work alone.

Any suggestions as to how to get a large corporation to take an independent, experienced designer/project mgr seriously and actually award projects? And how to get my foot in the door?

Thanks.
Kristin

Kristin,

It sounds like you already have your foot in the door, now it is a matter of getting them to open the door wider. What I mean by that is, you have been freelancing for fifteen years, you have been working on short-term onsite “corporate” projects and some from home during that time. So you have some inside contacts (inside these companies). Sounds like you just need to leverage your network contacts. I may be over simplifying or I may not have enough information about your situation, but I agree for a lot of freelancers it is about getting your foot in the door or about getting corporate experience under their belt or on their resume. These don’t sound like they are issues for you.

I would suggest that maybe you need to work your network a little. I assume that in your corporate project/assignment work you dealt with someone on the inside and should have developed a good rapport with them, they liked your work and you have continued to work on assignments off and on. These network contacts are your foot in the door. If they were happy with what you did then they and who they know are your best ways into the company. We have all heard the adage “it’s not what you know but who you know”, business is as much about the relationships as it is the work. We are all willing to suggest a good restaurant to a friend or a good company when we have received good service or had a good experience. These contacts are your best advertisement for more work. I would tread lightly though, there is a fine line between networking and being annoying. I would definitely keep in touch, let them know what you are doing or trying to do but no one likes to be continually bugged or harassed. Foster the relationship, call or e-mail periodically, whichever gets a more favorable response. If you can, do lunch every so often, be visible and you are more likely to be remembered next time an assignment come up.

Beyond that, network, network, network. Join and frequent groups that are attended by your clients (future and present). A lot of corporate client work is awarded through marketing teams, and a lot of corporate marketing people frequent AMA (American Marketing Association) and BMA (Business Marketing Association) meetings, events and conferences. You might also expand your network by joining the AIGA (assuming you aren’t already a member) or the Art Directors Club of Houston. There are studio owners, agency members and some in-house creatives that might also give you an in to some companies. These are all great organizations to be a part of and not just for networking. You don’t even have to join if you want to check it out first. Just find out then the next event is and go, check it out and see if it is something worth your time and money.

Lastly, make sure that your resume/bio/credentials, whatever you are using, is set-up and targeted toward corporate clients as well as your portfolio/work samples. You need to come across as someone professional that can support their business.

John Luu
Ok so, my first question would be; how did the three of you all first get into Design?

Kristin Moses
Good question. By accident? No, I’ve always been creative and have been making things my entire life but I never really knew I wanted to be a graphic designer. Then I went to the Art Institute and they said, “how about graphic design?” and I said, “sure”. It ended up being a perfect fit for me. It was everything I’ve ever done my whole life, coming together.

Carissa Renfro
Mine was kind of accidental, too. Similar to Kristin, I was always interested in art and commercial art and collected all types of stationary and stuff when I was a kid. I have always been interested design be it fashion, interiors or graphic design. I accidentally took a class in highschool called “graphic arts”. I didn’t want to, but I did, and after I took it I realized I really like graphic design and so I pursued it in college at U of H.

Aimee Smith
Kristin and I have been friends for twenty years and we grew up on the same street. We parted ways and did our own thing in college. I moved out to New York to hone my skills in advertising and uh… survival… and studied advertising and marketing and worked for a magazine in marketing. Kristin and I hooked back up and started working on projects together remotely and that’s how I got acquainted with the graphic design industry and applying my marketing and conceptual skills to it, which is the way we work at Deuce.

John Luu
This leads up to my next question which is how Deuce Creative came to be?

Aimee Smith
It’s really just like that. We needed each other, ya know? Kristin is the Artist, obviously, and I’m more of the talker and the conceptual person. Together as a team we’re able to, and this is true for everybody here, combine both of those worlds so that we can provide the full package for clients.

John Luu
So what lead to you two collaborating on the occasional project together to taking the plunge and going into business together?

Aimee Smith
We worked for another design firm together for a short time. There was chemistry in the way that we worked together and it brought to life projects in a way that was special.  It became clear at that time that it was time for us to go on our own.

Kristin Moses
We realized there was something missing in the graphic design community. We wanted to do more than create pretty projects, we wanted to create the entire concept behind it.

John Luu
If you had to use three words to describe Deuce Creative, what would they be?

Aimee Smith
Oh boy… wait, it wouldn’t be “oh boy” it would definitely not be “oh boy”…

John Luu
Well like three words that might make a client call up Deuce Creative or might convince a designer to say “Hey I want to join these guys”

Aimee Smith
“Fresh (Art), Storytellers and, I would say lastly “Strategy or Business” because I think that one of the things that our clients appreciate and what makes Deuce work is that we’re constantly revising our systems to make the engine here work better and for us to be able to produce work on time for clients on a consistent basis and instead of this style of “when inspiration hits, we’ll do this and send the clients some designs when they’re ready” type of mentality. There are a lot of deadlines and finance systems and I think that’s a very “business” mentality.

Kirstin Moses
Art and Strategy. We offer the total package.

Carissa Renfro
Think or Solve. I think one of the great things we do here is creative and productive thinking. We have mini breakout sessions and we’re constantly communicating about projects and thinking about ways to make existing projects work or even possible things in the future for clients or projects or Deuce. I think probably problem solving too… it’s my favorite thing to do as a designer and my favorite thing to do at Deuce, working out the kinks.

Krstin Moses
So there are a lot of words…

Aimee Smith
You can’t limit us to 3! It’s not enough words! We need our editor.

John Luu
Ok, next thing I noticed about Deuce Creative, after your work, was kind of your tagline “The Art of Strategy”. I thought it was interesting because it reminded me a lot of Eastern Classical thought and some stuff that’s going on with game theory today and I was curious as to the genesis behind that phrase?

Aimee Smith
It was inspired by the strategy and the art of gaming. We wanted something that showcased both sides of what we do. That’s also how the spaid inspired icon came into play.

Kristin Moses
…everything we do involves both.

John Luu
When I first noticed you guys a few years ago, I really liked the tagline and it was like I really wish I had come up with it first. I mean when you see something you like so much-

Aimee Smith
That’s the ultimate compliment!

Carissa Renfro
I have those moments 24 hours a day.

John Luu
I first heard of Deuce Creative through a mutual colleagues, and I noticed soon after that you guys were winning a lot of awards and getting some pretty good press. I’m sure that your previous work experience fed into that but was curious as to how Deuce was able to hit the ground running so fast?

Aimee Smith
Because we had to? When we started Deuce Creative we didn’t have a portfolio to show, so we had to work hard to build it. We didn’t have a website that showcased our work until January of this year. Long nights… long days and long nights. We used to all live at Kristin’s townhome and work all day and all night.

Carissa Renfro
We always look back and joke about how when we first started the evolution of the Deuce brand actually is kind of a nice example of how lo-fi things were. We used to cut our business cards out, remember?

Aimee Smith
That’s right.

Carissa Renfro
We cut them by hand with X-Acto blades, we had business cards that were hand cut for the first couple of months.

Kristin Moses
Because we were so busy.

Aimee Smith
We were busy, we didn’t have any money and we just needed a business card.

John Luu
Do you guys have any advice for younger designers who might be looking to start up their own agency or firm?

Kristin Moses
When we started our firm I think we had a very clear idea of what we didn’t want to do and I think the experience really helped. I know a lot of people get out of school and think “oh I want to start my own firm” and I think that’s a terrible idea. I think it is so important to work somewhere else and try to figure out what works and what doesn’t work and where there’s a need for something and try to fill that hole, which I think we did really well.

Aimee Smith
Have a strong sense of who you are as a designer and as a brand.

Kristin Moses
And figure out how you are going to be different than any other design firm. I think that’s why we’ve been really successful and why all of our clients are repeat clients and why we get referrals so much, because we did think all of that out in the beginning. I mean, it’s a lot of work but it’s worth it.

Aimee Smith
I think the way you incorporate your business is important. Not legally but how you choose to structure it, is it a partnership? Is it a sole proprietorship? Is it three partners? I mean, I can’t imagine having done this on my own. That brings up a whole other question; having a business partner is like being in a marriage, you have to have to be really dedicated to that person.

Kristin Moses
I think it’s important to have a strong business sense. You just can’t just simply have a good design sense because half of my job is not designing, it’s logistics and running this company and the money and the invoicing and figuring out what we need to do and what we can’t do. And so you’ve got to want to do that type of thing, too. It’s not just sitting around designing all day. It’s a lot of project management, putting out fires, fixing things and making sure everything is running smoothly.

Aimee Smith
And understanding that you are answering to every client that you have, I mean every client we have is our boss. It’s not like we don’t have a boss. We have so many bosses.

Carissa Renfro
One thing that might be helpful for aspiring business owners in the design field or just even students coming out of school—it has been really interesting to work for Kristin and Aimee from the very beginning because I witnessed the entire process.  I suggest definitely working in a small firm, you learn a lot about the structure and organization of it from the base level.

Krstin Moses
Because everyone is wearing more hats, the smaller you are, but it’s also nice because as a smaller firm it’s more boutique and I think the clients have more access. Sometimes when you get too big you can’t service your clients as well as you could when you were seven to fourteen people. It’s a jump.

John Luu
I looked on your Facebook page and I saw that Deuce Creative has like over 300 fans, what is your take on agencies engaging in social networking sites and having that level of conversations take place with your clients, your vendors, and, I guess, your peers in other agencies on such a public forum?

Aimee Smith
We just launched our Facebook page and it took a lot of internal meetings and discussions. We had to plan out what it was going to look like and be careful about the information that we’re presenting and not self promote too much. It needs to engage the viewer but not be too personal so we’re constantly having discussions about the content that we’re putting up on the Facebook page.

John Luu
Do you guys have like a process through which content get approved and posted?

Aimee Smith
Yeah, we all contribute but Carissa does a lot of the work on the Facebook front so she’s sort of our expert on Social Media

Carissa Renfro
It’s definitely a balance because Facebook started with individuals, you know just people, and college students specifically and it’s evolved to where it’s beyond just college students. Now there’s this huge presence of businesses, so it’s interesting looking at different Facebook pages and choosing what to write about. It’s actually a fun little extra thing. We just try to do one thing a week, keeping friends of Deuce and clients of Deuce posted on what goes on day to day.

Aimee Smith
And it helps for clients and friends to understand who we are as designers and as a team by sharing articles or designers that we like or people that we’re following. I can’t think of any other forum where you would be able to communicate those types of preferences or information-

Krstin Moses
- on a weekly basis. Even email marketing gets old and people, they stop reading your email blast but Facebook is very current, it’s with the times and I think you have to do it. And I think a lot of our clients too are looking to us and asking for those things and so we want to be current in the avenue of marketing and in what’s happening and what’s going.

Carissa Renfro
And right, that’s definitely an added bonus to having a Facebook page for Deuce, clients of ours that are very much interested in social networking online. It’s the best research tool because we’re doing it so you want to be as much of an expert in setting something up for a client and by doing that you just have to do it. It’s not like you can read about what it’s like to be on Facebook, so that’s an added bonus.

Aimee Smith
It’s an added bonus for our clients too when we can promote them and what’s going on with them. And even I think for clients who don’t have their own presence online in terms of social media, they’re interested and it’s a lot of work to keep up and it’s kind of a perk in that way for them too.

John Luu
What would be your response to people who feel that social media is just a fad?

Aimee Smith
I think it will change and evolve, like everything else, as it already has but it probably won’t go away. For now it’s a really great way communicate and whatever the next thing is, we’ll adapt to and adopt that.

Carissa Renfro
I agree, I mean already you’re starting to see tons of press about backlash against Facebook and “Facebook is out, Twitter is in” but it’s just a matter of time before Twitter is out and the next new thing is in and so but yeah, Social Media as a whole will never be out but the format will definitely continue to evolve.

John Luu
I guess my last question would be: for the young design student still in school or to a professional designer looking to improve, any advice for them to help them grow as a designer? And what firms and agencies might by looking for?

Carissa Renfro
Look at design as much as possible, good and bad. I mean obviously not just design but being a designer you wear a bunch of hats.

Aimee Smith
Or shoes…

Carissa Renfro
Yeah, here at our office it’s a bunch of shoes. Every person here comes in with a different pair of shoes everyday. But as I was saying, look at design, look at everything. Our job is based on consumerism and so there’s nothing that you can not intake when you look out your window that doesn’t have to do with being a graphic designer. So I guess to sum it up, be an observer, an observer of all things. In addition to interning and doing all of those other things, observing is the key because we’re designers but we’re also consumers and we understand what it’s like to be a member of a target audience and so, yeah, observe.

To learn more about Deuce Creative please visit their website at www.deucecreative.com or click here to become a fan on Facebook.

If you would like your studio featured on AIGA Houston please contact John Luu, info@houston.aiga.org for more information.

AIGA Houston presents

Jack Gernsheimer

and his new book Designing Logos:
The Process of Creating Symbols That Endure

Jack Gernsheimer spoke in Austin last night and this is what AIGA Austin President Jennifer Idol had to say…

“We held Logo Lounge in Austin last year and had the honor to host Jack Gernsheimer this year. His lecture echoed some of Bill Gardner’s sentiments, reaffirming the validity in his experiences. Jack dispels the myths surrounding successful logo design with 10 simple steps and articulates the process and reasoning behind his logos. He is an unassuming champion of design.”

—Jennifer Idol, AIGA Austin

This essential book for all graphic designers looks at the process of logo design and the criteria used to determine whether or not a logo stands a good chance of being here down the road. Whether you’re an educator, a student of design, a CEO recognizing the need for a corporate identity change, or just a fan of strong design, this book will help you make a more well-informed decision about the quality of logos.

Designers, educators, students, marketing specialists, and fans of design need look no further than this invaluable sourcebook for answers to these questions and many more. Packed with tips and lavishly illustrated, Designing Logos is an accessible reference for the design and implementation of a logo — from the initial creative thought process, through the presentation of logo alternatives to a client, to final implementation, with valuable, practical information.

About Jack

Jack received a BFA in Advertising Design from Syracuse University in 1968 and began his career at J. Walter Thompson in New York. He founded Partners Design with his twin brother Jeff in 1971 and continues to be actively involved in design and creative direction. In 1978, Jack worked in Oslo with internationally acclaimed designer Bruno Oldani. He has designed nearly 500 logos for businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to one-person startups. His work has appeared in Communication Arts, Graphis, Print, Novum, and other prestigious international publications. He has lectured, written about, and taught graphic design at Pennsylvania School of Art and Design, and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE
closes at 5pm, September 23

Door prize for AIGA members!

Date & Time:

Thursday September 24, 2009
6:00pm – social & book signing,
7:00pm – presentation

Location:

River Oaks Theater
2009 West Gray
Houston, Tx 77019
view map

Pre-Registration Pricing:

$10 AIGA Members
$20 Non-Members
$5 AIGA Student Members
$10 Student Non-Members

Pricing at the door:

$15 AIGA Members
$30 Non-Members
$10 AIGA Student Members
$20 Student Non-Members

For more information or questions, email:
Robin Parrish
Programming Director
events@houston.aiga.org

AIGA and Apple, Inc. are proud to partner together and, for a limited time, offer AIGA members exclusive benefits, including up to 17 percent off the latest Apple products and accessories online.
Partnership program benefits:

* Special AIGA member pricing on Apple and third-party products
* Exclusive promotions
* Complimentary shipping on all orders over $50
* Free engraving on all new iPod models
* Mac customization
* Flexible business financing options

AIGA members, log in to shop now or call 866 505 4763.

(Not an AIGA member? Join today to take advantage of all the benefits of membership.)

Offer terms and conditions

Members can purchase up to six computer systems and 10 iPod devices per calendar year, as well as unlimited software and peripherals. Please identify yourself as an eligible participant purchasing from the Apple Employee/Member program, and remember to request your AMPP preferred pricing when calling Apple. Promotion details are listed on your store site. Terms and conditions apply. Not all products are available for discount. TM and © 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

First, think of your firm as the restaurant and the “front of the house” your client-facing staff. Do your customers value a little extra personal service or are they just looking for something quick and economical? If you’re a firm that prides itself on personal service, then you need customers that value that in order to charge what you feel that service is worth. Even in these times when everyone is getting more budget-conscious, the idea of value remains true – if your clients feel you are helping them in ways beyond just producing the work, they will perceive your value.

Think about your talented creative as the kitchen. This is where the magic happens. ☺ Is your staff short-order cooks churning out orders, or highly trained chefs with years of experience? If you have chefs, then you are a fine dining establishment and looking for quality over quantity.

The truth is, most of us reading this blog are more like chefs. We have focused our education and spent years perfecting our process and knowledge. Take a look at your client interactions, the experience of working with you, and be proactive towards managing your value.

The link to Pam’s PDF notes from the call: http://tinyurl.com/6f63gy

Also, we are be putting together our own kind of “Business Breakfasts” get-togethers this year to keep these business conversations going. We are currently looking for topic suggestions or emails from those who would like to participate. Drop us a line at president@houston.aiga.org.