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

Hi Sylvester, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Earning a full-time living from my creative work has been a process. When I first began my design career, I thought that having a ridiculous amount of clients and being swamped with work was the goal. But I quickly realized that my goal was to actually live, and not “live to work”. Understanding my value and worth as a designer brought me to the place of understanding that not every client is for me, and I’m not for every client. This mindset shift changed my business. It helped me to focus on what matters most…my time. This helped me to also begin charging based on value rather than what I felt that the client could afford.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a creative graphic designer with over 8 years of experience crafting brand identities that communicate and connect with people. Simply put, I create dope logos for dope brands. I’ve always been a creative, but I actually became a designer when my wife and I started a young adult ministry at our church. I was inspired and encouraged by a friend who not only created our logo at the time, but also pushed me to begin designing myself. He taught me how to see “space” and notice design. I became a graphic designer because we needed a designer, but I didn’t think that it’ll eventually become my career.

Over the years, I’ve grown to understand that being a creative is a calling. It’s a willingness to create and not be bound by “what you don’t know”. So now with my company, Hakaba Design Studio, I help small and mid size businesses get passed what they don’t know and uncover the brand that they are. As a brand designer, I help brands understand that their logo is not their brand, it is simply a tool used to identify their brand. And by removing the pressure of thinking that the logo is responsible for communicating what they do, they become free to express who they are.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

A time I took a risk with selling was when I first changed my pricing for my logo service. When I first began designing logos, I had no idea where to start with pricing. I gauged my pricing on what I “thought” clients were willing to pay. That was a bad idea. I had an almost career ending client experience that left me questioning if I really wanted to move forward. At the time, I was charging $150 for a logo, which is CRAZY! And the client just didn’t seem satisfied. So after my 9th logo that I created, I was ready to give up…But God! I realized that their indecisiveness had nothing to do with me, it was all them. They didn’t know what they wanted, and wouldn’t be satisfied until I figured out what they didn’t know they wanted. It sounds crazy, but it happens alot in this industry. But for $150? Nope! I knew that I wouldn’t last long if I continued to not value my time for the sake of “the job”. I’m worth so much more.

I remember hearing a story from another creative dealing with pricing, and how he first charged 8K for a logo service. He said that he didn’t work his way up to it, he just decided, I’m gonna put it out there…and he did. His first time charging 8k for a logo service, was the first time he charged 8k for a logo service. That freed me. My next logo inquiry, I decided to scare myself. To not think about what someone could afford. But to value my time and service. So when discussing the project with the client, I quoted them above what I felt comfortable charging. And they agreed. It blew my mind because it showed me that not every client is the same. Some value the business they’ve built more than others. Some actually believe in investing. This was over 4 years ago and I haven’t looked back.

Just think, If I were still stressing over $150 logos, I would’ve been too busy trying to work on thousands of projects each month and missing out on quality clients that were looking for my services. Quality over quantity everyday!

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

My best source of new clients has been satisfied clients. I have amazing clients. They are not only willing to invest in their brands, but are also willing to share my business with their peers. Word of mouth can’t be bought, so I focus on providing excellent care and service to each client, large and small. This attention and care has served my business over the years.

Contact Info: 

• Website: www.HakabaDesign.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/hakabadesign
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/hakabadesign
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvesterabakah/