As a business owner, I do a lot of thinking about how I want to present AGI to the world, and how we can best serve others in a way that makes the most sense for AGI. There’s a lot of pressure (at least, I think I can safely say business owners assume a lot of pressure) to grow a business in a way that looks like the success we see others/designers enjoy: splashy big projects, larger teams, studios, shops, books and licensing deals. It’s all very glossy and enticing, and I’ve often thought these types of accomplishments are THE definition of success. Enter a year like no other, and I’ve had second thoughts about all that.

In a period of time when we experienced the ultimate disruption to our business norm, we also learned that, like water finding an outlet, goals and dreams have a way of finding a course not necessarily paved. In the past few years, it has been my aim to establish multiple “prongs” of the AGI business - ways to earn a living creatively that are like spokes on a wheel - all contributing to a central goal. However, unlike the traditional spokes that are all the same length, I’ve felt that some spokes would be longer than others, so maybe the “wheel” looks a little irregular, but I’m okay with that! In the past, one of those “spokes” was an e-design model that provided a level of service that accommodated price-sensitive clients, or someone who was willing and capable of tackling the implementation part of the design process. Big project life took over (remember those check-the-box accomplishments?), and we diverted resources to full service design.

In the past year, it became evident that not only was there an opportunity to help people through a virtual design experience but that with an upgraded process and product, we’d be crazy NOT to re-invigorate a tier of service that’s expedient and accessible to many people. So, we have re-launched AGI Virtual Design packages, and are thrilled to do so. It feels timely and sensitive to the needs of people we may not otherwise be able to work with, which is very rewarding. On a business level, offering a virtual tier of service ties back into my “spoke” model, and adds back a leg that has been missing.

Owning a business is a journey I’m grateful to be on. One where the ebbs and flows allow us to think creatively about what our business can achieve in new and interesting ways. It feels like a particularly good time to think freely about new potential, and that’s very exciting to me!