I know that everyone has their success story.
But this is not a story of my success. This is a story about how to get up and keep going.

I’ve had the same business cards for three years. After reading a few articles over at Matchstic, I made the decision to rebrand my cards into something more tangible. An object of affection.  I make my living off of my sight and my intuition. I needed a card that would help me create a piece of myself to show others how I see the world. I used Moo Business Cards to accomplish my vision. (Who by the way I am now obsessed with. Rounded corners, double sided cards, beautiful accurate coloring, and thick cardstock- ohmy!)

I also for the first time ever this year decided to run a couple of advertisements. This is the latest one from the November 2011 issue of the Chronogram. Heres a peek !

In a moment of pure and open honesty, I’ll admit, I am not nearly where I’d like to be professionally. I may not have all of the latest gadgets or the fanciest flash website, but one thing remains the same as when I ventured into this. I’m confident that I know how to take the pictures which warrant running this business.

So I’m working on it.

As Mayer Hawthorne reminds us,

Its gonna take a long time,
Its gonna take it but we’ll make it someday.

Alvin Diec, brand identity guru at Matchstic and I have one major thing in common: we both love good food and design…and as Alvin put it, what’s more important right? I first discovered Alvin’s work a couple months back and have since been inspired by his creative genius and classic style. Alvin’s designs have been featured in publications such as HOW and Print Magazines and twice on Freutcake here and here. But don’t take my word for it, go check out his work for yourself. While you’re at it, let’s hear what Alvin has to say…

Q: Item of clothing you can’t live without? There’s a pair of Levi’s 511s that I’ve had for probably three years. Simple, classic, and good for pretty much anything. It’s amazing how durable a $50 pair of jeans can be.

Q: Favorite tool in your creative arsenal? I always carry a pen and notebook. All my notes and sketches go in there as I’ve never been able to keep up with digital scheduling and note taking for some reason. All my projects start as sketches and I like the immediacy of jotting things by hand rather than poking at a phone. The combo I’ve seemed to settle on is a small 105 mm Muji notebook and a Pilot V7 pen.

Q: Totally obsessed with… Courier, the font. You know, the one that comes on every computer and resembles a typewriter (or that black and white computer screen prompt from twenty years ago). I’ve used it sporadically for a while, but in recent projects it’s become a full-on obsession. As a text face, it works so well because it’s so unassuming and utilitarian. You can keep it spare or dress it up depending on context and how you pair it.

Q: Currently craving? I’m always craving croissants. There’s a bakery in Atlanta, H&F Bread Co., and their version is one of the best I’ve had. My morning ritual usually includes grabbing a coffee and a croissant on the way to the office.

Q: Currently working on? A new restaurant in nearby Decatur called No. 246. It’s a Northern California, Italian-inspired concept, and sister restaurant to the popular Jct. Kitchen here in Atlanta. It’s been a great process so far. For a restaurant design, being able to work closely with the chef and interior designer is critical to how the whole experience will come together. (And Courier definitely made its way into this project).

Thanks Alvin!

For more on Alvin visit his tumblr.

Matchstic just finished up a contest called On the House.  On the House is an opportunity for a local nonprofit to receive a total branding makeover (including: Website, Brand Identity, Logo development, Print materials, Professional Photography, and a lot more).  This gives the lucky non-profit the ability to reach people in ways they’ve never been able to in the past.

Given the current economy, it’s very rare to see businesses giving away services. Matchstic used the talents they’ve been given, not just to earn a buck but as an opportunity to live generously.

in east atlanta there is a small, blue house that is the home (or office) of a design and branding company named
Matchstic. these guys do a fantastic job of resourcing their clients with identities that will separate themselves from any other business or company within their industry. it has been exciting to see their work first hand as they continue to help Booster create and develop our brand.

the thing that has recently caught my eye about Matchstic is their On The House promotion. they, along with a group of partners, are providing a non-profit in the atlanta area with brand identity development, brand strategy sessions, web development, printing, photography, and several other things all for FREE. why? because they want to provide the best quality work for an organization that, due to the economic hit, could use some help as they are helping others. and because they are simply great guys who love for their work to make a difference.

so please check out their work, and read about the cool stuff they are doing on their blog.

Our second stop was Cartoon Network, we saw both the web and print sides. This was a huge transition from IQ. I really enjoyed their print work and advertising. I loved the simplicity of the Star Wars Clone Wars campaign, plus I’m a little biased since that was my favorite trilogy growing up. Our guide was also really great but the overall feel of the place was still a little too “corporationy” for me.

Last stop was Saturday morning at Matchstic. These guys were awesome, some of the nicest dudes I’ve met in the design world. Not only were they really chill guys, they definitely had the most interesting location. They have converted a house into their studio space. In my opinion they had some of the best advice and I could relate to them a lot more than the other two firms, a lot of that could be attributed to the fact some of them went through the same program I’m in right now. These guys are cranking out some amazing work and are really great guys worth checking out.

Sharefam.com brought in Matchstic to create the design for our brand, logo and website.  These guys do AWESOME work and are very professional.  I have referred a couple of partners and friends over the past year or so to Matchstic to kick off their website designs.  I really believe they are at the top of the Branding World in Atlanta.

So, what are they offering?

The Matchstic team will be donating a Brand Identity makeover, including logo developement, website design, and print design, valued at $30,000.

Ries & Ries:  Al Ries & Laura Ries are normally consulting for companies like Microsoft, Ford, and Disney.  We are privileged to have them donate a 1/2 day brand strategy session, valued at $15,000.

Visual23:  This interactive development studio is donating their award winning web development services, valued at $10,000.

Standard Press: Our favorite printers in the world will be providing printing services, valued at $10,000.

SeeSparkGo: This Public Relations firm will be providing Public Relations coaching and copywriting, valued at $10,000.

A Bryan Photo: This photography studio will be donating a photoshoot, valued at $5,000.

Carlton Fields: Michael C. Fletcher, from the law firm of Carlton Fields, will be providing Trademark Counseling, valued at $3,500.

The grand total of all of these services is $83,500!!!

If you are Non-Profit in Atlanta looking to make some changes this could not be a better opportunity.  Check out: Matchstic – On the House.