Episode 35
The Power of Outreach
If Coca-Cola, Target, and Apple have to promote their business, so do you. Have doubts? Roxy Prima and Phoebe Cornog of Pandr Design Co. will put those to rest.
This week, Phoebe chats with the dynamic biz duo who co-run the successful boutique design agency specializing in custom murals. Tune in to hear how a mutual love for lettering and graphic design sparked a creative partnership between the two founders that has attracted clients like Visa, Target, the Minnesota Vikings, and Lululemon. Roxy and Phoebe attribute their sustained success over the years to consistent outreach and believe it’s time for femme creatives to put their work in front of their dream clients, one email or DM at a time.
Episode 35
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Roxy Prima + Phoebe Cornog
Don’t make any assumptions about what company can afford your services.
[05:50] TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT PANDR DESIGN CO. IS ALL ABOUT.
Pandr Design Co. specializes in custom murals for a diverse range of international clients. Roxy and Phoebe work closely with each client to bring their unique vision to life, whether it’s an IG-ready backdrop or a morale-boosting office mural. Their clients span commercial real estate, professional sports teams, restaurants, hotels, schools, and small businesses. They note that their shared background in graphic design helps them bring a different perspective and approach to their work.
[09:07] HOW DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?
Roxy and Phoebe explain that every project has a unique problem to solve. While the sources of inspiration can vary dramatically, research (lots of it!) is a constant in their work.
[10:10] HOW DID YOU TWO MEET?
Phoebe shares that she discovered Roxy on Instagram back in 2015 and fell in love with her work. After connecting in real life to talk shop, they began to host meetup groups for other like-minded graphic design creatives in San Diego. Their working relationship naturally evolved into co-founding Pandr.
[13:18] HOW DO YOU DIVIDE YOUR WORKLOAD?
Unlike many co-owners, Roxy and Phoebe both engage with all parts of the business. They largely attribute this to the fact that they learned everything about running a business as a team, but admit it helps that they’re like-minded in how they approach work.
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Roxy Prima + Phoebe Cornog
Outreach should be a habit for creatives and small business owners. It will get you more work.
[15:00] TELL US ABOUT YOUR OFFICE!
In the early days of Pandr, Roxy and Phoebe rented an office within a coworking space. Realizing the huge need for supplies storage as well as private space for calls and meetings, they moved into their current office (complete with gym, workshop space, and shed).
[16:10] WHAT KIND OF WORKSHOPS DO YOU OFFER?
Initially, Roxy and Phoebe just offered hand-lettering workshops to the public and made a point to teach a workshop whenever they were in a new state for a project. Over the years, they’ve expanded their offerings to webinars on business-oriented topics like outreach, client communication, and more.
[18:14] LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT OUTREACH FOR ARTISTS. HOW DO YOU FIND CLIENTS?
Roxy and Phoebe realized early on in their business journey that in order to build their client list, they needed to do email outreach complete with pitch and presentation. They emphasize how critical outreach is when starting out as a business owner, and encourage all creatives to make consistent outreach a habit. They also caution listeners against making any assumptions about what company can or cannot afford their services.
[21:01] WHAT IS YOUR SYSTEM FOR STAYING ORGANIZED WITH OUTREACH?
While Pandr uses Hubspot, Roxy and Phoebe recommend business owners find any CRM (customer relationship management) platform that will work best for them to keep their clients organized and in one place. Since outreach is so often a repetitive process, they suggest targeting specific regions and industries at a time to avoid reinventing the wheel with each lead.
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Roxy Prima + Phoebe Cornog
[27:18] ANY TIPS FOR DIVING INTO VIDEO CONTENT?
Roxy and Phoebe got on TikTok before the pandemic began, so at this point short-form video feels like it’s second nature. They advise creatives to start small if they’re not comfortable with being on camera and to prioritize following creators who have a similar approach to their own (to avoid getting stuck in a comparison trap).
[32:11] WHERE CAN WE FIND YOUR NEW BOOK?
Wonder Walls: How to Transform Your Space with Colorful Geometrics, Graphic Lettering, and Other Fabulous Paint Techniques was released in November 2021 and is the culmination of three years of hard and patient work. It’s available online and wherever books are sold.
Follow Pandr Design Co. on IG: @pandrdesignco
Visit the website: https://www.pandrdesignco.com/
Buy a copy of Wonder Walls (also available wherever books are sold)
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