We were lucky to catch up with Iain Worgan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Iain, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I’ve been in the design industry for quite some time, working my way up to become the head of the creative department at my previous agency. But something was missing. I wanted deeper connections, real conversations, and more direct engagement with clients. So, I took the biggest risk of my life—I quit my job, left Manchester, and moved to London to pursue a Master’s in Visual Communication at the world-renowned Royal College of Art.

My goal? To find someone who shared my passion and build something meaningful together. Fortunately, that vision became a reality when I met my business partner, Niall. After graduating, we set our sights on creating an agency where communication and collaboration were at the core—bringing clients into the process, valuing their insights, and leveraging their knowledge of their business and customers.

We started small—renting a tiny room above a pub in South East London (which, strangely enough, used to be the landlord’s toilet). From there, we hit the ground running, emailing everyone we knew, everyone we wanted to work with, and every brand we admired. In those early days, we sent out hundreds of emails a week. It took time—weeks, even months—but eventually, the replies started coming in.

Our first big break came when a Hollywood actor launching a production company needed branding. Our process worked. The client was engaged, enthusiastic, and fully invested. And because of that collaboration, the work was stronger than ever.

In-Col Studio was born, driven by our passion for working with startups and founders. From the very beginning, collaboration has been at the heart of our practice. To this day, we continue partnering with startups, founders, and stakeholders, helping them shape their brands, digital presence, campaigns, and overall design.

Iain, 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?

We specialize in solving challenges in visual communication and brand positioning for startups. For many founders, building a brand from the ground up can be an overwhelming and complex process. Our role is to provide a supportive, collaborative environment where we merge our decades of experience in brand development and visual identity with the founder’s passion, vision, and enthusiasm for their business. By working closely with founders, we help translate their ideas into a compelling and cohesive brand presence that resonates with their audience.

Our work spans the entire spectrum of brand development—whether it’s helping early-stage founders define and position their brand within the marketplace or providing established startups with creative direction and campaign support as they scale. We operate much like an internal creative department, available for both large-scale strategic initiatives and the smaller, day-to-day creative needs that arise. From crafting foundational brand identities and digital experiences to executing campaigns and refining messaging, we act as a long-term creative partner, ensuring that startups have the visual clarity and positioning they need to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

The start of 2024 felt like a turning point for our studio. We had just hired our third team member, secured a significant retained client, and landed a project with a well-known household brand in the UK—one that had the potential to develop into a long-term partnership. It seemed like all our hard work was paying off, and we were poised for a period of growth and stability. But, much like the twists of a gripping TV drama, things quickly began to unravel.

The retained client, which initially seemed like a transformative opportunity, turned out to be a scam. Over the course of a month, we poured time and effort into the project, only to start noticing red flags—delayed responses, vague justifications for late payments, and shifting goalposts. Our suspicions led us to conduct a deeper background check, which revealed shocking news articles about the founder’s past. They had been previously imprisoned for fraud in another business. With a £12,000 invoice still unpaid and no realistic chance of recovering it, we had no choice but to cut ties and write off the loss. It was an incredibly tough and frustrating lesson—one that no amount of industry experience could have prepared us for.

At the same time, our other promising lead—our project with the household brand—also took an unexpected turn. Just as we were wrapping up our initial work, the company’s brand director was made redundant. With them went any possibility of a retained contract, leaving us without the ongoing revenue we had anticipated.

The financial impact of these back-to-back setbacks was severe. With two major income streams disappearing almost overnight, we faced an incredibly difficult decision: we had to make two of our team members redundant. It was one of the hardest moments in our studio’s journey—both emotionally and professionally—and we are still feeling the financial effects of that turbulent period.

However, while the experience was painful, the lessons we’ve taken from it have been invaluable. We’ve implemented stricter client assurance checks, ensuring we fully vet potential partners before committing significant resources. Our payment and contract processes have been thoroughly formalized, introducing clearer terms, upfront deposits, and safeguards to protect against situations like this in the future.

Although 2024 tested us in ways we never expected, it also strengthened us. We now have a more resilient and structured business, and we approach new opportunities with both optimism and caution. If nothing else, this experience has reinforced our adaptability and determination—qualities that will only make us stronger moving forward.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Honest and transparent communication is the single most important factor in maintaining strong, long-term client relationships. Clear, upfront conversations—especially in challenging situations—help build trust, foster collaboration, and ultimately lead to more successful projects.

When things don’t go as planned, the worst approach is to stay silent or attempt to gloss over the issue. If a project is facing delays, the best course of action is to inform the client as soon as possible. Being honest about why the delay is happening and providing a realistic timeline for completion allows them to plan accordingly and reassures them that the situation is being managed. Clients appreciate accountability far more than last-minute surprises.

Budget overruns can be another difficult topic, but they are best addressed through direct and transparent discussions. If we’ve stretched beyond the initial scope, we make it a priority to explain why, outline how we can prevent it from happening again, and provide a clear breakdown of the additional costs involved. While these conversations can sometimes feel uncomfortable, they are essential to maintaining an open and professional working relationship. Clients don’t just want good work; they want to feel confident that their projects are being handled with integrity and respect for their investment.

Over time, this open approach fosters deep trust, transforming professional relationships into genuine partnerships. Some of my longest-standing clients are people I would now consider friends, and that’s because our working relationship has been built on mutual respect, care, and consideration—not just as colleagues, but as individuals. When both sides feel valued and heard, collaboration becomes more than just business—it becomes a shared journey toward meaningful creative outcomes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://in-col-studio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/in_col_studio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iain-worgan-b5495563/

Image Credits

Joseph Barrett