Andrew Thomson of A Studio on Branding, Freelance Design … and Zoom Horror Stories


Andrew Thomson, the freelance graphic designer behind A Studio, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Andrew began freelancing a little over two years ago and tells us what freelance life is like and gets honest with some of his struggles (it turns out time management is hard for everyone!). Andrew and Carrie share their worst quarantine Zoom calls and discuss how the pandemic has affected their work loads. Andrew tells us more about what he does in a day and gives us the inside scoop on the branding of a few local businesses. Andrew and Carrie talk about the pros and cons of freelancing, the need for a creative outlet that’s not also billable hours, and the elusive state of work-life balance. Andrew and Carrie wrap up with the value of investing in professional branding for your business and how that saves money in the long run, and tips for how to make the most of working with a graphic designer. 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

A Studio 

Good People Brewing 

Avondale Brewing 

Trattoria Zaza 

Nabeel’s Cafe and Market

Carrigan’s 

Carrigan’s Beer Garden (formerly Brat Brot) 

Hero Doughnuts

Church Street Coffee and Books

Lewis Communications 

Infomedia

Creature

Jonathan Benton Bookseller 

Cary Norton on Instagram

About Carrie

Carrie Rollwagen is host of the Localist podcast and cofounder of Church Street Coffee & Books. Currently, she works as Vice President of Strategic Planning at Infomedia, a web development company in Birmingham, Alabama. Find the Localist at @thinklocalist on Instagram and follow Carrie at @crollwagen.

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