Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Stancheski

Hi Brian, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

OK, so Canvas Rebel wants me to walk through my story — How I started and got where I am today. I’ve been in love with design for almost as long as I’ve been alive, from a young boy wanting to be an architect to a teenager wanting to draw comic books and ultimately becoming the graphic designer I am today. Design and creativity have always been my chosen path, my North Star.

I was back to school in my hometown of New York, but eventually dropped out and moved back in with my parents, who were living in Florida. Fast forward a decade, I was stuck in dead-end jobs and couldn’t find any passion in my work. My wife and I decided to move to New York City in the middle of the recession, despite the unemployment rate being over 10%. Many people thought we were crazy and said we would be back. Some said they’d see us in a few months. The consensus was that it would be really hard to make it in New York and that we would probably end up back in Florida.

I originally came to New York City in January 2012 and started working in February. I began at a temp agency, and they quickly found me various assignments. My first job was in the mail room of a PR firm, which lasted for about two weeks. After that, I moved on to a permanent position at a retirement company, but there were a lot of inner office issues, so I asked the agency to move me back to the PR firm, and they agreed. I ended up working for a female-led PR firm under one of the big four firms. My duties included typical office tasks such as handling mail, assisting with office setups, and configuring devices.

Over time, I learned that the company didn’t have a graphic designer, although they did have a photographer/videographer. They did have a small creative department, but no dedicated designer, so all design work was outsourced. While processing invoices, I volunteered to be a Design liaison, helping with the design of the new offices. Although I wasn’t selected for that project, they asked me to work with them and act as a communicator for the group, which was a cool experience. Later, I found out that my position was going to be downsized and to make things worse, this was told to me in front of the CEO and COO. They also asked me to keep this information confidential for a while.

I was aware that this information was confidential, but I proved that I was trustworthy by keeping it to myself and continuing to work, even though I knew I might lose my job.

One day, the COO came downstairs looking for my boss who had already gone home. I told her that, but then something in my brain told me to ask for a meeting with her if possible. I suggested the meeting and she agreed, telling me that Sarah would set it up. At the time, I didn’t realize I was essentially pitching my portfolio. Subconsciously, I was taking steps to ensure that I wouldn’t be downsized. After I spoke, I wished I could take back my words. I asked myself if I was ready with a portfolio for this company when the meeting would be, and what I was doing as I had never done this before.

I arrived at the meeting with the understanding that I needed to present something creative. As the meeting approached, I felt unsure about what I could present and what I should say. Doubt began to creep in, but then I reminded myself that I had the necessary knowledge and capability. I wouldn’t have agreed to do it if I didn’t believe in my ability to deliver. When I got home, I worked on digitizing my portfolio as much as I could.

I feel the need to give some people the recognition they deserve. I was part of a podcast recording featuring Chris Do, and he posed the question: “Is it better to have a network or to have the skills?” While having the skills is important, I believe the people who support and believe in you are the ones who provide the opportunities for you to showcase your skills.

I want to remember and acknowledge the three people who were pivotal in helping me start my current career as a designer. I used to work in a different field, but I always had a passion for design. In every position I have had, I also had design skills that I would consistently bring to the table. I used to do design work for free, but I knew I could turn it into a paid career, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. Designing is my true calling, and I’m grateful for the support that helped me pursue it.

The day came that I had to tell my current manager that I was applying for a job as a designer for the company they had had a photographer and videographer, but I would be the first designer. I had my portfolio ready on my iPad. I had my meeting. I’m headed up to the 15th floor. I’m at Miss Laura Pesin’s office, the most personable, cool, and down-to-earth COO I might ever meet.

I opened by saying, “Currently, as a client, they are paying you for your creative services in photography and videography. However, I noticed that you have been outsourcing design work. I am a designer and I would like to bring that work in-house by designing for the company.”

Her eyes widened as we began to talk. She mentioned she needed to discuss the proposal with a few other parties. A few days later, she informed me that they wanted me to design a document for the CEO, and she wished for it to resemble a New York Times layout. When I went up to our office, we discussed the project. I grasped the visual identity of what she wanted and started working on it. From that point on, my week was split—two days for design and three days for admin. Eventually, my admin boss got upset and said, “You have to tell him whether he will stay in admin or be the designer.” When Laura spoke with Stephanie, the CEO, and Adrianna, the CCO, all parties agreed.

I was the first designer at an agency with 100 employees. I was responsible for social media, content calendar, designs, RFP layouts, and advertising designs for all the employees. It was an awesome experience. This job allowed me to get a MacBook and wear converses to work. When we moved to a new building, I worked on the 19th floor. Everything was great until our company a group of investors started making decisions. They realized that there were other creative agencies in the portfolio, But they all had their clients. The investors didn’t see value in having so many in-house creative teams, so they cut most of the creative departments, including mine. I lost my job, and many other creatives in the department were also laid off, including a videographer/photographer who had been with the company for a while.

Ever since I joined the team, it has been a time of transformation. During this period, another important female figure came into my life: my wife. She suggested that I start my own business. It’s interesting to note that women have played a significant role in getting me to where I am today. To this day, a substantial percentage of my key collaborators are women. In our profession, women make up 50% of designers. Additionally, when it comes to leadership roles in sustainability, women lead the charge +60% of the time. Women have been a driving force in my life, including my art director, Megan, and my creative director, both of whom have been very supportive.

Although I’ve also encountered supportive men, there’s a different nurturing aspect when it comes to women. They are genuinely inclined to help and support you, and that’s where I find myself today.

Since 2015, I have been working with small businesses. Since 2020 and into 2021, I’ve been focusing on doing this sustainably, or as sustainably as possible. I’m not going to say I’m perfect, but I take it into account in all aspects of my business, from client-facing work to personal matters. I always consider whether we need to do something and how we can do it differently and the most sustainably possible.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

It has not been a smooth road, whether in corporate or personal business. Don’t let anyone tell you anything different because that’s a lie. Both styles of work contain struggles, some the same and others different.

Am I going to lose my job? We worry about younger designers taking my spot due to ageism, especially in the fields of design, marketing, and advertising. We are concerned about missing out on time with family and friends due to the long hours at work. We feel creatively stunted due to the grind. These are the things we deal with on the corporate side.

However, there’s also the freedom of entrepreneurship and owning your own business, but then there’s no guaranteed paycheck each week. We are also worried about insurance and where we get the next client, and there are also government requirements that need to be fulfilled. Balancing work and family has been tough as well.

Dealing with the many variables life throws at us can be quite a challenge. One of my current struggles is finding clients, particularly those who would benefit from the educational aspect of my business. I’ve had to rethink my approach to make my services more appealing and understandable. The biggest challenge is getting clients to truly change their methods and make an impact. Building effective teaching systems and implementing safeguards to prevent alterations are essential. I’m working on creating efficient systems that are resistant to change while acknowledging that there’s always room for improvement and greater efficiency. The ultimate goal is to ensure that new habits are adopted successfully and seamlessly.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

As a creative, some might think I would choose a creative topic. However, I have felt the desire to enter the industry since I was young, even though I didn’t finish college at a time when it was essential to get a job. Fortunately, I was able to demonstrate my abilities and that became less of a factor. Nowadays, people often switch to design and everyone has an opinion on that. What sets me apart is that I have always wanted to be creative and everything else has just been a job to sustain me until I achieved that goal. Along the way, I’ve gained valuable experience, especially in customer service, understanding how major brands operate, their values, and company culture, as well as marketing, advertising, and PR. This knowledge, combined with networking and leveraging connections, has enabled me to establish my lane and begin working with various clients. I bring to the table a unique combination of knowledge and skills, applying them to the world through customer interactions and a comprehensive understanding of areas ranging including brand building and consumer behaviors.

That’s how I was able to initially start my professional life and be creative as a business owner. So, I think it’s a fair mix of the initial professional knowledge I gained from years of working in major companies and what I learned from the advertising and PR side of things. This helps me on the creative business side and I think that is what sets me apart from others. I’ve done all different kinds of things and come from a somewhat traditional design school background where I learned a lot of the fundamentals in a few years. However, I also did a lot of self-training, picking up and learning through purchased classes and YouTube University. Learning in this digital, modern world gave me a unique ability to integrate old-school thinking and practices with new school tools and ideologies, as well as a lot of other knowledge I have. I like learning about different things and bringing all that knowledge into the work that I do every day. I strive for sustainability every time I learn about everything that I bring into my work, so I think this unique combination of these three things is my little sweet unique spot, like a Venn diagram.

How do you think about happiness?

I find joy in spending time with my son. There’s something about creating with him around me that makes me feel special and proud. I see his creativity and problem-solving skills, and it’s cool to see his interest in building, similar to mine when I was his age. Outside of my family, good meals and unexpected moments, like trying vegan food for a full week at a retreat, things like that bring me happiness.

I’ve done Meatless Monday and a couple of other sustainable things, but I’ve never gone fully vegan or completely meatless for almost the entire week. We did have a cheat day or two. What made me happy was knowing that I accomplished it, and I enjoyed it. It was easier than I thought it would be. I was glad and happier because of how my body felt. The food made me feel happier because I didn’t feel as weighed down. The act of eating and my meals intrinsically makes me happy.

I enjoy sharing meals with people like during a business meeting or being creative with someone. Physically eating food that I made, or that is so good and wholesome just makes me happy at my core. It might sound weird to some, but people who are into food might understand.

I enjoy learning as well. Learning is a significant part of my life and absorbing everything helps me grow as a person.
Mauro Porcinin said “When you stop learning, you stop growing”, and I agree with him. I make it a pursuit to learn something new every day.
Stay growing, bigger!

Pricing:

• Free Sustainability Assessment with Free resources
• Free Brand Archetype Discovery and Identity Kit

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bggrcr8v.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brian_anthony_ny?igsh=MWJ3eGFnanhrd2Z6dQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/brian_anthony_ny?igsh=MWJ3eGFnanhrd2Z6dQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
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