The Art of the Leap
There’s no perfect playbook for turning creativity into a business. It’s really just a mix of instinct, strategy, and a lot of trial and error. In this session, I’ll share my messy, unpredictable journey of taking the leap, from marketing your personal brand to juggling life while running a solo creative business. Whether you’re on the edge or already mid-air, let’s navigate the uncertainty together.
I’m a Independent Senior Graphic Designer and Art Director with extensive experience in helping brands and agencies in developing visually appealing concepts that enhance their brand identity. Founded my creative studio SantoStudios after 15 years working across media and creative agencies in London.
My company Path Unbound, a boutique UI/UX design school, is a challenger brand in a saturated market with many big named schools. We experienced a long slump in revenue in the first couple of years in business because we couldn’t find our product positioning. We offered products similar to our big competitors and tried to beat them with lower price only to have the opposite effect. People start doubting if we are bad because we were so much cheaper.
Last year, we discovered the magic formula to growth for us as a small challenger brand without big budget for advertising. We started to repackage our big product offerings into smaller ones that are ultra flexible serving mini segments of user personas. We started to see results within weeks of launching our new offerings, attracting more customers than we’ve ever have. In this talk, I’ll how we structured our product offerings according to customer personas and how other small businesses that are challenger brands to big competitors can thrive doing the same.
Do you know that one of the most successful startup builders has worked a full-time corporate job? Many succeeded with their startups even before quitting their job. The secret sauce is to not waste your money and efforts on stuff that won't work. Let's talk about what to focus on if you want to launch your startup with any chances for success.
Building a side hustle or business is challenging! I'll share the roadmap to your first customer and then all the way to your first $10K. We'll cover everything from pricing, branding, sales and marketing.
You know you’re meant for more, but figuring out how to make it happen without second-guessing every step? That’s the real challenge.
If you're ready to stop settling for a career that feels just fine and start building something that truly excites you—without quitting your job overnight—this session will give you the strategy, insights, and confidence to make it happen.
You’ll walk away with a clear roadmap to turn your expertise into income, build momentum without overwhelm, and create a future where you call the shots.
