A Return to Hospitality + Mindful Travel
As a creative team, we spend the vast majority of our time telling the stories of other entrepreneurs, makers and innovators—yet we rarely have the opportunity to share our own story. That’s why we were so excited to sit down with Darryl Kelly, the CEO of Hectic, to talk about our own journey as small business owners and the values that drive our work.
Recording this podcast interview was a wonderful reminder of why we wanted to run our own small creative studio. Growing this business has been an incremental journey, with the goal of staying small, prioritizing client relationships and thoughtfully seeking out like-minded, value-driven partners for each of our creative projects. Thanks to many of you, it’s been a wonderful adventure, and we have learned so much from our community along the way.
As we wrap up our sixth year in business, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what we’re building. We invite you to join us in this conversation—to share with us what drives your business and how we can support those goals.
WEBSITE DESIGN + COPYWRITING
Client: JNS | Denver, Colorado
Over the past three decades, Johnson Nathan Strohe has become one of Denver’s most influential architecture and interior design firms in the hospitality and multi-family sector. Yet it had been several years since the brand had an opportunity to apply their deeply intentional, story-centric philosophy to their own website and branding. We were asked to collaborate on a full website redesign for the firm, from reimagining the sitemap and user experience, to crafting new copy for the brand’s core messaging, as well as their most eye-catching projects. From there, we built out a brand new, easy-to-manage Squarespace website, helping to ensure that this fresh look for JNS remains both timeless and up-to-date as the company continues to grow and evolve.
BRANDING, ILLUSTRATION + COPYWRITING
Client: Tabla Mixta | Cusco, Peru
After several years working in the hospitality and agriturismo sector, Tabla Mixta founder Julia Steck saw an opportunity to launch a curated, food-centric travel company in Peru’s Sacred Valley. We immediately connected with her goal of supporting independent family businesses in the region—as well as highlighting local chefs, artisans and distillers as guides and experts—while increasing access to more authentic, mindful travel. Collaborating on a full branding package—including logo design, typography, color palettes, custom illustrations and core brand messaging—our primary goal was to differentiate the brand from other more transactional experiences and to establish Julia’s credibility as a local leader in mindful travel.
LIFESTYLE + BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY
Client: The Source Hotel + Market Hall | Denver, Colorado
As a creative studio, so much of our style and approach has been shaped by our work in hospitality. That's why we were absolutely thrilled to collaborate with Zeppelin Development—one of Denver's most influential placemaking teams—on a brand shoot for The Source Hotel and Market Hall. The goal for this colorful, design-forward shoot was to capture a big, bold return to travel, diving into all the delicious, relaxing and eye-catching activities you can enjoy during a stay at The Source. After more than a year of social distancing, the resulting images remind us of the joy, curiosity and energy travel brings to our lives—even if it’s just in our own backyard.
EDITORIAL
”The Search for Sabor” | Edible Denver
“To those simply swinging by for lunch, Comal Heritage Food Incubator—located in RiNo’s TAXI complex—might seem like an ordinary restaurant. Yet for the dozens of women who have participated in the program, the experience has been a rare career training opportunity. That’s because Comal exclusively supports female immigrants and refugees who originate from countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Syria, Iraq and Ethiopia. The lucky few who are accepted into the program are not only paid a stipend, they are also taught professional culinary and business skills that can help them launch their own entrepreneurial ventures.”
