An Ode to the Solo Studio
There are a number of words I’ve rarely been able to replace with stronger ones. “Luxury” is one of them. At my first agency job, one of my many tasks with naming—and describing— luxury highrise buildings in New York City. I searched synonyms for “luxury” daily, so much so I left it open as a permanent tab to refer to, hoping that, one day, a new word would emerge; a braindead moth to a thesaurus flame. Suffice to say, “elevated” and “considered” were used with great abandon.
When I decided to leave the warm underwings of agencies, I ventured out as an individual freelancer (and took my thesaurus with me). A few short months later (under the wise guidance and pioneer Colin Smight), I took myself as a client and rebranded as a studio.
“Studio” is like “luxury.” It’s a word I tried, in vain, to out-maneuver while outlining the contours of my own practice. “Studio” is technically defined as the working place of a painter, sculptor, or photographer; a place for the study of an art (such as dancing, singing, or acting); a place where motion pictures are made; a place maintained and equipped for the transmission of radio or television programs; or a place where audio recordings are made.
Though my studio is none of those things, a “studio” it is.
Out of that studio-ification came my LLC: By George Studio, and with it a website, a line of totes, a trademark, and an official-looking email address. But out of it came something much greater: a self-legitimizing raison-d'etre; a newfound purpose for doing good work; an entity with the authority of bigness but the prowess of one.
I’ve unofficially defined the solo studio as an individual creative with the credible look and feel of a proper business but with a better name.
Or: the freelancer behind an incorporated lemonade stand.
Becoming a solo studio has been transformative: yes for a sense of self, but also for a sense of business confidence—a sense of legitimacy; a sense of accountability; a sense of scale.
But being solo hasn’t meant being alone. What I’ve discovered is the power of partnering with other solo studios whose practices complement my own: the brilliant Cul de Sac Studio, Brit Larson Ltd., Studio Teixeira, to name a few. These nimble partnerships have become the bedrock of my work.
The solo studio “effect” has unlocked something I never expected when venturing off on my own. The shift from ‘me’ to ‘we,’ albeit a front, is motivator unlike any other.
TLDR; I replaced my name with a name—and it won me over.
Gus Esselstyn is the creative director and founder of By George Studio, an independent brand consultancy based in New York, New York. The Studio specializes in brand strategy, messaging, naming, and identity.
Follow By George Studio on Instagram
Follow Gus on Instagram
An Ode to the Solo Studio
There are a number of words I’ve rarely been able to replace with stronger ones. “Luxury” is one of them. At my first agency job, one of my many tasks with naming—and describing— luxury highrise buildings in New York City. I searched synonyms for “luxury” daily, so much so I left it open as a permanent tab to refer to, hoping that, one day, a new word would emerge; a braindead moth to a thesaurus flame. Suffice to say, “elevated” and “considered” were used with great abandon.
When I decided to leave the warm underwings of agencies, I ventured out as an individual freelancer (and took my thesaurus with me). A few short months later (under the wise guidance and pioneer Colin Smight), I took myself as a client and rebranded as a studio.
“Studio” is like “luxury.” It’s a word I tried, in vain, to out-maneuver while outlining the contours of my own practice. “Studio” is technically defined as the working place of a painter, sculptor, or photographer; a place for the study of an art (such as dancing, singing, or acting); a place where motion pictures are made; a place maintained and equipped for the transmission of radio or television programs; or a place where audio recordings are made.
Though my studio is none of those things, a “studio” it is.
Out of that studio-ification came my LLC: By George Studio, and with it a website, a line of totes, a trademark, and an official-looking email address. But out of it came something much greater: a self-legitimizing raison-d'etre; a newfound purpose for doing good work; an entity with the authority of bigness but the prowess of one.
I’ve unofficially defined the solo studio as an individual creative with the credible look and feel of a proper business but with a better name.
Or: the freelancer behind an incorporated lemonade stand.
Becoming a solo studio has been transformative: yes for a sense of self, but also for a sense of business confidence—a sense of legitimacy; a sense of accountability; a sense of scale.
But being solo hasn’t meant being alone. What I’ve discovered is the power of partnering with other solo studios whose practices complement my own: the brilliant Cul de Sac Studio, Brit Larson Ltd., Studio Teixeira, to name a few. These nimble partnerships have become the bedrock of my work.
The solo studio “effect” has unlocked something I never expected when venturing off on my own. The shift from ‘me’ to ‘we,’ albeit a front, is motivator unlike any other.
TLDR; I replaced my name with a name—and it won me over.
Gus Esselstyn is the creative director and founder of By George Studio, an independent brand consultancy based in New York, New York. The Studio specializes in brand strategy, messaging, naming, and identity.
Follow By George Studio on Instagram
Follow Gus on Instagram