Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Phalen Reed. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Phalen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

My first true organic client stumbled upon my design blog (which is no longer active). The client discovered a particular post that was speaking about my bucket list design projects. At that time, one of them was to develop a logo and label design for a bourbon liquor (as it is my favorite spirit). I had three years of working for a local Minneapolis distillery, developing label designs for their various liquor brands, under my belt. However, stepping outside of the corporate atmosphere to support a “mom-and-pop” business was very exciting. They reached out via email and were looking for a logo and label design for their bourbon-style Manhattan cocktail mix. This Manhattan mix has been a drink their family has made for the past several decades and brought out only on special occasions. I loved the history and passion behind their purpose to bring this product to market. And knowing that they hand-picked me to support them made this such a dream. It ended up being a years-long relationship.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Phalen (pronounced like Jimmy “Fallon”) and I’m from small-town Iowa. While the majority of my high-school classmates didn’t know their career path, I knew early on that graphic design was for me. Coming from a highly-creative family full of tattoo artists, illustrators, painters, floral artists, and woodworkers, it only made sense that some form of creativity would lead my life as well. Thus, moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota to pursue graphic design.

After completing my studies and fulfilling a few internships, it was time to find a full-time job. I found myself at a web-design startup for a year and a half, followed by working for a local distillery for the next three years. Although I enjoyed my current position, I always had this idea in the back of my mind of owning a design business. Over the last year, I had slowly been accepting freelance design work and even enrolled in a couple of online courses to learn about establishing and navigating a design business or studio.

Even with an outdated portfolio and only a few short-term clients, I put in my two weeks’ notice and hit the ground running to start my design studio. I was quite scrappy in the beginning, adding my portfolio to any site that would allow me to showcase my work, going to design “meet-ups” and interviewing local creatives who were doing the same thing. Not long after, I was able to land long-term clients via referrals and social media. Over time, my business has slowly grown and somehow it’s been almost 8 years.

My design studio specializes in developing thoughtful brand and package design solutions for small businesses. I have packaging experience ranging from consumer goods and beverage to fashion and home goods. My skill set also extends to include print and web design as well as social media and marketing content. People know me best for my clean approach to design with playful color palettes and clever type combinations.

My clients receive a personalized experience from someone who has over a decade of experience in the field of graphic design with both in-house and agency experience. I’ve served clients locally and from all over the country. I’m able to use my wide and expanding range of skills to help them achieve their design dreams faster and with more intention.

I enjoy working with clients who are creative and passionate about their product or service and are looking to connect with their audiences in an authentic way. If you are someone who is obsessed with color, thoughtful design or simply loves little details that make brands truly great, we might be a perfect match.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I’ve been very fortunate to have been running my design studio for nearly eight years and have served over 100 clients. When first starting my business, the “big thing” to do at that time was create a business-specific Instagram account. This was before Influencers and Content Creators were popular. After doing so and posting about 3-5 times a week, I received a ton of engagement from other designers and also potential clients. Instagram was where most of my clients came from in the early days, so I remained very active in the space for a long time (not as much over the past few years as the platform has evolved). These days, the majority of my new clients come from referrals from past clients, referrals from other graphic design business owners, and through my contact page on my website.

The overall trend seems to lie with making connections, whether that’s online or in-person. A connection I made (three years in the making) remembered me and reached out for graphic design support. Now I have been working with them consistently over the last five years and they are one of my favorite clients!

Have you ever had to pivot?

When the pandemic started in 2020, my inquiry rate went down to the point where it was almost non-existent. The majority of my normal workload was heavily based on new and existing clients’ needs that revolved around brand or package design work. But most people were not in the market to be starting a new business at that time. With no new clients or projects coming in, I prioritized current clients’ needs while looking for new paths to help make up the missing income.

My solution was to find one or two retainer or “long-term” clients who would need weekly design support to fill this gap. Luckily, I was able to secure such clients, but with social media and marketing design support. Although these projects were different than what I was used to working on, it was all within my wheelhouse.

These days, I still support a few retainer clients as well as new and existing clients. My inquiry rate has slowly crept back up to where it once was and I will always be grateful for that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://phalendesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phalendesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phalendesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phalenelonich/