We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sav Gordon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sav below.

Sav, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

‘Minimalism’ is dead. (Especially in design.)

Don’t get me wrong, I still firmly believe in the phrase “no design is good design”, but I’ve seen a HUGE shift in the last year away from the beige, simple design trends that were so popular before — and people are starting to prefer more interesting, differentiating design. (And I couldn’t be happier about it.)

As a brand and web designer, I have always had a preference to more fun, eye-catching options for branding and websites.

Now that more people have caught on, we aren’t following strict brand guidelines like before, instead using these creative elements to really highlight personality and what the person might be feeling / going through / or into at any given moment.

I’m personally really excited about the shift. I think for a while, branding and websites (generally) had become a bit stuffy, and everyone was looking the same. So I’m LOVING this new creative freedom to break that mold, and have fun with it all again. I’ve always felt design was meant to be fun and break rules!

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?

I’ve worn many hats in my career — from international sourcing in the fashion industry to logo and web design, home renovation, personal styling, advertising — and a few others too random to mention. In a way, they all led me to where I am today.

I’ve always loved entrepreneurship and ran a successful, six-figure styling business for several years in my early 20’s. Now I get to support other entrepreneurs and business owners while they level up through bomb branding, copywriting, and web design, as a digital designer.

The common thread that ties it all together has always been my love for great design. I love drawing inspiration from abstract ideas and turning them into fully realized worlds, down to the tiniest detail. No matter what I am creating -or renovating – I always bring new vision to every project.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In Summer of 2021, I was suffering from the collective burnout we were all experiencing mid-COVID.

I honestly had built a business that didn’t have a lot of structure, I was making great money, but wasn’t wisely utilizing it or reinvesting it into my work. I was unclear on who to hire to help me. My bookkeeping was a mess and my schedule was even messier. I was working 10-12 hour days, taking NO weekends, and had created a work environment where I only made money IF I was keeping up with that schedule.

It was impossible to maintain.

Instead of trying to repair (or overhaul would probably be a better term for what was needed) my workflows – I decided to shut it all down. I turned off all my websites, went private on Instagram, parted ways with all of my clients, sold my house, and moved in with my in-laws.

Honestly, taking that break was the best thing I ever did. It gave me the clarity I needed to identify the type of work/life balance I needed to enjoy my life and fall back in love with my work. It also gave me a fresh slate to start over in a more sustainable and enjoyable way.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Honestly, I think I’ve gotten a good reputation by only working with highly aligned clients. I’ve learned that turning down projects is the best thing you can do to make more money.

It gives you the space to take on, and pour your full energy, into the projects and clients that truly GET IT, appreciate you, and keep coming back for more!

It also means, I feel passionate about every single one of my projects. And when I feel that way, I’m invested – I sent voice notes to them when I have thoughts/ideas about their project (sometimes months after our engagement has ended), I keep up with what their doing, I send business their way, etc. And I think that resonates with my clients and they do the same in return!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://savannahgordon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savanagordon