CSCA | Louise Fili
JOY VENTURE: Chris Bishop on bikes, brews & the things that move you
"I never worked in a bike shop until I owned one. My first day on the job I was reporting to myself. Sometimes we fear what we don't know but forget to celebrate or praise what we do know. There's this really awesome saying: we fail at the margins of our experience. When we do, great. We grew. We don't grow by having a cushy, comfortable life."
CHRIS BISHOP, Founder, Backroom Coffee Roasters and hop merchant
Pulling up to Chris's airplane hangar turned "workshop" — where he roasts beans for Backroom Coffee Roasters today — is a much different setting for his business compared to when he was fueling his coffee fix out of the back room of a bike shop, hence the company name.
Chris is far from being stuck in the same gear. He's the kind of guy who has multiple interests and a willingness to pursue them as far as they will go. He's also a guy who avoids getting too comfortable with any venture, knowing that comfort has a way of stunting growth and breeding complacency.
Chris charts his entrepreneurial path and insatiable desire for discovery, from motor sports to bicycles and from coffee to beer. And he believes in doing the kind of work you're passionate about and can pour yourself into. It's how he has turned his passions into paychecks and immensely enjoyable work.
Chris's story will encourage you to go for it — whatever your "it" might be.
EduGo 2017 Road to Success Ride
This weekend EduGo held their 3rd annual charity ride: Road to Success Ride. 100 riders showed up early Saturday morning eager to pedal for a great cause. This year's ride raised over $11,000 bringing EduGo's total to $23,000 for 2017.
This family-friendly cycling event brings together riders of all ages, allowing them to share their love of bikes with orphaned children. EduGo is a volunteer initiative that partners with Asia’s Hope to purchase bicycles and motors for orphaned children in Southeast Asia. All bikes funded through this event help us put kids on the road to success by getting the education they need to achieve a successful future.
The Road to Success Ride is more than a one-day event. It’s a chance to make a difference in the life of a child that will last a lifetime.
“It's so cool that we can ride bikes in Columbus, Ohio as a way to support and encourage orphans in Southeast Asia! The Road to Success Ride does a superb job of letting the riders know what their entry fee and donations are going towards. It's an honor to be part of such a worthy cause.” —2016 rider
Wake. Shower. Shine.
Looking and feeling fabulous shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.
All-natural, Pälish smoothes away roughness, moisturizes deeply, scents skin naturally, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to leave your arms and legs looking like a million bucks.
Heather, the creator of Pälish, looked to Slagle Design to help launch her new business with a memorable and playful brand that could extend to multiple product lines. Delivering a custom wordmark, type, illustrations and bold color palette, Heather was thrilled with the end product.
Creative Partner: Christine Myers, Verb Garden, Inc. writing + strategy
Capital University Presidential Inauguration Campaign
After meeting with Dr. Elizabeth Paul, the new president at Capital University, it was clear a traditional and stuffy approach to her inauguration announcement was not going to fly.
She shared an aerial photo that shows Capital’s campus with the Columbus downtown skyline off in the distance. She wanted to make sure Capital University’s community was not limited to Bexley, but extends to downtown at the Law School, and the community in between—including lower income urban neighborhoods that lie just outside of Bexley.
The invitations are designed to illustrate this vision. The buildings depicted in the three nested pieces show Capital University’s Campus, landmark buildings outside of Bexley, and the Columbus Skyline—further reinforcing her vision for the university's engagement with the community.
For the love of cheese!
Slagle Design partnered with John and Anne Reese on the branding of their creamery, Black Radish. The couple have a mutual love of food and passion for science, which are the perfect ingredients for becoming cheese makers. Their fruit butters, jellies, and preserves are packed with flavor and only use the best ingredients—a MUST for your next cheeseboard. Is this making you hungry? Taste their cheese, jams, and sandwiches at their location at the North Market.
Creative Partner: Christine Myers, Verb Garden, Inc. writing + strategy
These illustrations make us smile.
We were proud to work with Luna Burgers to enhance their farm fresh labels.
Creative Partner: Christine Myers, Verb Garden, Inc. writing + strategy
Looking for the purr-fect sitter?
Need a pet sitter before heading out of town for Labor Day Weekend? Look no furr-ther!
Slagle Design had the opportunity to help Susan Deisher go from being a part-time pet fan, to opening a pet business as her full-time gig. We created a name, brand, and website that helped her grow her business in the direction she wanted. Check them out and schedule a sitter at Sit.Stay.Grow.
“When I first started the business, I sought out a branding expert to help start things right. I was familiar with Jeremy and his work so I contacted him to begin. He helped me “hit the ground running.” The branding has greatly helped my company stand out from the competition and helped to keep our look fresh and professional on the web, in clothing, with stationery, in advertisements and numerous other ways we contact customers and potential clients. The business has grown to feature over 100 clients and 7 independent contractors. Many customers have commented on the gorgeous branding they associate with Sit. Stay. Grow. Thanks to Jeremy and Casey for getting me started with a great brand.”
The ingredients you want. The flavors you crave.
Munch Rights introduces INCREDI-PUFFS!
with a wholesome blend of plant-powered ingredients
Slagle Design teamed up with Verb Garden, Inc. on a creative overhaul of the Munch Rights brand with Wyandot Snacks and dished out a delicious new product name, brand, stratgey and packaging. We asked the question "why is it the healthier the snack, the more ho-hum the flavor?" We raised the bar by creating a better-for-you, better-tasting puff. Made with wholesome ingredients you can actually pronounce—like non-GMO corn, beans, and potatoes—our “better-for-you” Munch Rights Incredi-Puffs are baked, not fried; have 30% less fat than potato chips; and are completely free of artificial colors, flavors, trans fats and gluten. What aren’t they free of? INCREDIBLE TASTE! Look for Incredi-Puffs in a grocery store near you.
“10 out of 10! Jeremy and his team are a pleasure to work with. They provide very quick responses on requests and have amazed us with their creativity.”
Lori Roberts, Customer Success Manager, Wyandot, Inc.
What WOULD be vs. what COULD be
I’ve been working out at the same gym for ten years—consistently showing up three times a week, getting in some weight-lifting then some cardio before heading back to work. I pretty much had the same routine each time—same exercises, same spin class, same machines. While I'd been happy with the fact that I felt healthy, I would look in the mirror wishing I could look healthy. The consolation was to remind myself of what I would be if I wasn't working out. And, for ten years, that was good enough.
Come 2017, I was challenged to step things up a notch. As a small business owner, time is precious. If I'm going to take 1.5 hours out of the busy workday, I better see results. As long as I was going to be spending time at the gym, I wanted to make sure I was getting the most out of it. So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and asked Steve, the owner of the gym, if he would help me design a workout that would give me the results I hoped for.
For the past 7 months, thanks to Steve, I have been learning how to work out and I am starting to notice a difference. One of the first things Steve told me was that I don't need to spend 1.5 hours in the gym. I should be able to be there for less than an hour and get everything I need in a workout. He also showed me that I was doing a lot of things wrong—poor posture, not using the equipment correctly, lifting too much weight, not varying my exercises, not focusing attention where I needed to focus it—I had been doing it all wrong. Steve is constantly reminding me that if "I don't feel sore after a workout, my muscles didn't record it." I had been doing the same thing for so long that I wasn't feeling sore after going to the gym. I wasn't building anything. I was maintaining it.
Last week, at the end of our workout, Steve said "Jeremy, you've been working out here for 10 years and for the first time I can say you are beginning to look like you work out." I have a long way to go still, but the fact that it's making a difference is all the difference in the world to me. Mentally, I've gone from dragging myself into the gym and reminding of what I would feel like if I didn't, to showing up at the gym excited about what I could be. I went from hating the gym to looking forward to spending time there because I was seeing the results and others were taking notice.
Admitting you're stuck – and then getting unstuck
Many business owners get stuck in a similar rut. Perhaps their product or service is selling enough that they have been able to quit their job or sell their business and go full-time with their Joy Venture, but don’t fully know how to develop it. Others are putting in the work, developing their business, but just aren't seeing the fruits of their labor. And still others are reminded of that would be if they didn't own their own business, or working for someone else, or felt stuck in a corporate environment with little satisfaction. Too many of us find ourselves stuck between reality and potential, and we’re left wondering what could be.
In the same way Steve is helping me streamline my efforts and getting me on the road to real change, working with a creative strategist and designer helps you multiply work by letting the world see you for who you really are. We help you focus your efforts by telling your story in a strategic and compelling way—which drives your marketing across social media, web, print, packaging, environment and even how your employees and customers talk about your business in a clear and consistent manner. You go from having a logo to having a brand with a story. From focusing on what would be to what could be.
If this resonates with you, let us know. We have helped many people bring the joy back into their businesses by helping them realize and ultimately achieve their potential, helping them see the results of their labor and showing the world how great their business is. Great design opens doors you never thought were possible and gives your business the license it needs to become all that it could be.