Internal Branding & The Business of Design with Dan Janssen, Owner / Creative Director at Lincoln Design Company
We go behind the scenes with one of the best in the business.
Welcome to Dog Whistle Branding, the official newsletter of IRONBOUND Media, brought to you by me, "IRON" Mike Steadman, Founder of IRONBOUND and The Godfather of Dog Whistle Branding.
Dear Friend, Subscriber, and Aspiring Dog Whistle Brand Owner,
In this week's episode of "Dog Whistle Branding," I have a conversation with an entrepreneur I greatly admire, Dan Janssen, Owner & Creative Director of Lincoln Design Co. This Portland, Oregon-based brand design and creative agency sets the gold standard for many design agencies.
I first discovered Dan and the Lincoln Design team through their podcast, "The Chop Up," where Dan and his team of designers discuss some of their recent branding and creative strategies. As a lifelong learner, I am constantly searching the web and reading books to hone my craft. After listening to a few episodes of "The Chop Up," I reached out to Dan to see if I could host him on "Dog Whistle Branding." At the time, he was deeply involved in organizing his first conference, "Into The Woods," which I had the opportunity to attend back in August of 2023.
Although I felt like a fish out of water due to my limited design skills, it provided me with a behind-the-scenes look at the graphic design community and Lincoln's perspective on internal branding.
Unlike most modern brands or agencies, Lincoln believes that the best work is often done for oneself. This is why they have hundreds of logos they've used over the years to market themselves, attract top-tier designers, and have fun along the way.
Dan shares the backstory in today's episode and also offers key insights for young firms like mine, and my friend Drew O'Brien's company, "We Make Cool Shit." Drew co-hosts the show with me. You can listen to the show at the link below.