Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Abercrombie.

Hi Steve, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

I started making things at an early age. My first art achievement came from a feature in the local newspaper highlighting a huge art piece. My grandmother had a part-time job delivering newspapers and came across a roll of newsprint being thrown away. I rolled out a few hundred feet and proceeded to fill the entire thing with everything I could think of. A montage of dinosaurs and spaceships for certain, but what stood out was the scale of it.

That creative drive persisted over the years through assorted fields and interests. I eventually settled into a brief 5 years full-time role working with a national music promoter. This came to an end in 2020 with Covid layoffs but sparked me to start my own freelance design service.

Although I initially intended it to be temporary, Stabercrombie Design grew into a satisfying centerpiece for this new chapter of my life. It allows me to focus on promoting the skills I have and gives me the breathing room to pick up new ones and grow.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

The first year was riddled with doubt as I worked to grow and keep a nice mix of clients. There were many times I considered just going back to work for a company, and I would even have times when I might update my resume with different strategies for selling myself and applying for a few jobs.

My solution was to set a goal for ending the year with 10 clients, with the hope they would be representative of various levels of income. The top dollar jobs, the medium ones, and the small sporadic ones.

Having this focus gave me a figurative carrot to keep my sights on and established a solid base for my business. After a few years of building this model up, I had a consistent enough cash flow to call off the job search for good.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I specialize in production graphics for the music industry, in addition to video localization and website design.

What sets me apart is my ability to handle large projects with tight turnaround times. I have served many large concert tours from Metallica to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ghost, Dwight Yoakam, and Clint Black.

I love the dual challenges of making graphics and videos look good, but also handling multiple dates across a tour. It is equal parts creative and organizational and extremely satisfying.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

The most important thing I have learned is to watch out for ego and be a good listener! What you like and what is needed to market a client are often different things.

It’s important to listen and try to absorb what’s needed before plundering into unneeded revisions.

It’s also fun to get outside of your comfort zone. I enjoy the chameleon-like nature of being a designer. Some days I get to think like a cowboy, other days a metalhead, sometimes the feeling is delicate, other times gritty.

Pricing:

• Web Ad Package (6 sizes) $70
• Basic Graphic Package (4 sizes) $55
• Original Designs $42/hr
• Video Editing $42/hr
• Basic SEO/Web Mgmt $230/monthly

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stabercrombie.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StabercrombieCreative
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-abercrombie-a1a32669/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madstabercrombies