Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to William French. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
William, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
In 2007, my brothers and I moved to NYC to work for a record label. After a few years, we decided to take the skills we had learned and start our own business by making a creative studio. I was the pre-production graphic designer at The End Records where I laid out artwork for print, designed TV shirts, posters, sales material, web graphics etc. From there, one of our first major clients as our own business was for an experiential marketing company where I designed all of the marketing material for the special events they were running. This included large format graphics like truck wraps, banners, flags, billboards and more. It was a great transition from using my existing skills and adding new ones like 3D rendering for event mockups.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Billy French, I’m a father, husband and Creative Designer. I’ve been in this business for 15 years. My career has largely been focused around helping individuals and small businesses achieve success with their passions and ambitions. I’ve worked with countless public speakers, artists, builders and others to help amplify their message and reach their audiences. Having worked in the corporate field for many years, I appreciate the impact we can make in the lives of the people making these smaller endeavors by providing them the support and framework they need for success.
Starting your own businesses or pursing your passions can feel daunting and overwhelming at the beginning. It’s easy to get wrapped up on trying to flesh out ideas outside of your field and spend all of your time trying to build your website, or design your branding and not truly focusing on your business itself. That’s where I come in, to help others be that extra set of hands and coach in the corner, helping my clients navigate there how’s and why’s of getting their business presence out there.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
When I first started my business, I read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I strongly suggest that anyone with goals and ambitions should read that book as it’s much more about following your dreams and how to actualize them more than actually just making a lot of money. It helps build core concepts in thinking that will last a lifetime.
Secondly, use your local library. They have a massive selection of digital resources and many libraries offer free full access to LinkedIn Learning, which will teach you anything about business you’ve ever wanted to know taught by real professionals. As a creative designer, you’re constantly met with new innovation and industry changes that you need to keep on top of or quickly get left behind. Having access to those resource, which I paid for for many years, now freely at my disposal, has been a god send.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of clients for my business has been word of mouth. Doing a great job for clients, keeping them as repeat customers, and having them share with their colleagues has been the best way to grow my business. Your reputation is everything and showing your clients that you’re there for them and willing to go the extra mile and be there when others haven’t has really been the key factor in what sets my business apart from my competition.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://midvaledesign.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/midvaledesignco