We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hank Brentlinger a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hank, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

Something that I often struggle with in this industry is the desire for year-after-year growth and revenue as an indicator of success. In my experience, clients and agencies that feel the need to perform better this year than the last often lose their spark along the way. To me, it is more meaningful to find fulfillment in what I do and feel good about who I am doing it for. I find it is more valuable to me to have long weekends during the slow months than to take on work just to keep busy.

I have turned down some of the biggest companies and projects to come through my inbox because either our values are not aligned or I know that the workload will alter the dynamic of my small studio.

Hank, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hank Makes is an independent brand and lettering studio helping small businesses perk up in a sea of snoozefests.

I tend to work with clients who are just getting things off the ground or find themselves at an inflection point. I prefer to build successful clients rather than acquire them, creating lasting partnerships as their business and needs change.

I will be the first to admit that I have a pretty distinct voice that I bring to nearly everything I touch, and whether you are a brewery or a plumber, I try to bring the same level of excitement and energy. No sleepers here.

I grew up here in Portland, Oregon, where I am currently based, and I take a lot of pride in this city. To me, it is much more meaningful to work with the coffee shop I go to every morning than a large-scale retailer in a city across the world.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I have always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with social media, specifically Instagram. I really don’t want to be an influencer and certainly don’t want to be a finger-waver (you know the type). But that said, I land about 50% of my business through Instagram.

I have found that what works best for me is using my Instagram presence to share who I am outside of design. My followers know my partner, my dog, my garden, and my general day-to-day. I treat my account as if it were just my close inner circle of friends, and I think people really resonate with that.

I also try to get creative with my promotion off of social media. Right now I am running an ad at my local movie theater.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of this whole thing is the community that comes with it. I love working directly with business owners and taking deep deep dives into industries that I would have never even considered looking into. I also love working with other designers and students. I try to carve out one morning each week for coffee with colleagues and students. When I graduated college, a small handful of people took the time to meet with me and provide guidance, and it only feels fair to continue passing that baton forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hankmakes.com
• Instagram: @hank_makes
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-brentlinger-1832ba138/