Ep. 229-GUEST: HOW to become MORE CREATIVE?🥒GRAPHIC DESIGN MONSTER!🥒DESIGN PICKLE-2.23 Million Designs Delivered-FOUNDER: Russ Perry - 🤔

Summary

Podcast Summary: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson | Episode 229

Guest: Russ Perry, Founder and CEO of Design Pickle

Release Date: November 29, 2024

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Introduction and Guest Welcome

In Episode 229 of "Do This, NOT That!" hosted by Jay Swedelson, listeners are introduced to Russ Perry, the dynamic CEO and founder of Design Pickle. Jay enthusiastically presents Russ as a "creativity machine" and highlights Design Pickle's remarkable achievement of delivering over 2 million designs, positioning it as the world's largest subscription creative service (00:40). Jay sets the stage for an engaging discussion filled with actionable marketing insights and creative strategies.

Russ Perry’s Journey to Design Pickle

Russ Perry begins by sharing his personal and professional journey, illustrating his lifelong passion for problem-solving. From a young age, Russ was driven to tackle challenges, even if it meant bending the rules. This trait led him to pursue a degree and eventually land a pivotal role at Apple during the launch of groundbreaking products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. He describes this period as an "incredible job" that provided him with invaluable insights into branding and marketing (01:35).

However, Russ's initial foray into entrepreneurship wasn't smooth. He launched a B2B technology agency focusing on branding, which ultimately failed due to his inexperience in running a business. This setback taught him a crucial lesson: the importance of systems and processes in creative industries, which he found to be severely lacking (01:35). Undeterred, Russ leveraged these lessons to conceptualize a novel business model—a subscription-based graphic design service where clients pay a flat rate for unlimited design needs. This idea materialized in 2014 with the launch of Design Pickle, a name inspired by its unique and memorable appeal, coupled with the availability of the domain (05:00).

Piggyback Design: Concept and Application

Jay introduces the concept of "piggyback design," a term Russ coined to describe a strategic approach to branding and creativity (04:27). Russ explains that piggyback design involves leveraging elements from existing brands or ideas to create something new and effective. He likens it to the children's game of piggybacking, where one person uses another's support to move forward.

Russ emphasizes that originality is rare, except in specialized fields like quantum physics or biosciences. Instead, the focus should be on execution—how existing ideas are implemented and refined to fit a new context. Design Pickle exemplifies this by combining aspects of working with a full-time designer, maintaining a flat-rate subscription model, and offering freelancer scalability into a single, cohesive service. This blend allows Design Pickle to provide dependable and reliable design solutions, setting them apart in an inefficient market (05:07).

Applied Creativity in Life and Business

The discussion transitions to the broader concept of "applied creativity." Russ challenges the traditional, narrow view of creativity—often confined to visual arts or music—by redefining it as a form of problem-solving. He states, “Creativity is just another word for problem solving” (08:10). According to Russ, creativity involves achieving goals in unique and effective ways, and it is a skill that can be developed through deliberate practice.

Russ advocates for integrating creative practices into both personal and professional life. By engaging in creative activities outside of work, such as family projects or personal hobbies, individuals can build their creative muscles in a low-pressure environment. This approach prepares them to apply creative problem-solving skills more confidently and effectively within their businesses (08:10).

Practical Examples of Applied Creativity

To illustrate applied creativity, Russ shares his "Sabbath Box" project—an experiment where he locks away all electronics for a day to foster family interaction (11:16). Despite initial resistance from his children, the experiment yielded positive results: his daughters began playing together harmoniously, and the family enjoyed quality time without digital distractions. Russ highlights that such experiments break routine patterns and encourage creative problem-solving in personal settings (11:33).

Additionally, Russ discusses his strategy of operating on 90-day cycles, setting quarterly goals that push his creativity in various aspects of life—including health, personal experiences, and business. For example, launching his podcast "Jar of Genius" represents a strategic business project that stretches him beyond his comfort zone, fostering continuous creative growth (14:38).

Encouraging Creativity in Personal Life

Jay poses a thought-provoking question about Russ's role as a design leader at home: Does he critique his children's artwork with the same scrutiny as a professional designer? Russ reassures that he encourages his daughters' creativity without imposing professional standards. He shares that his daughters are genuinely creative, each with unique interests and talents, such as his youngest daughter's fascination with angler fish (17:23). Russ emphasizes the importance of adjusting expectations based on age and skill level, focusing on providing opportunities for practice and growth rather than immediate perfection.

Russ also shares an anecdote about a failed crafting project with his children, illustrating that not all creative endeavors succeed. However, he views these experiences as valuable learning opportunities that foster resilience and continuous improvement (19:24).

Conclusion and How to Connect with Russ

As the episode wraps up, Russ provides listeners with multiple ways to engage with his work. He promotes his newsletter "Unlid" on Substack, which details his experiments and creative projects. Additionally, Russ highlights Design Pickle as the ideal solution for businesses seeking fractional designers at a fixed rate. He invites listeners to connect with him on various social media platforms to stay updated on his latest insights and discussions about applied creativity (19:55).

Jay concludes by thanking Russ for his valuable contributions and encouraging listeners to subscribe, explore Design Pickle, and follow Russ’s ventures for further inspiration and actionable marketing strategies (21:17).

Notable Quotes

• Russ Perry (01:35): “Systems and process really matter and actually are really lacking in design and creativity.”

• Russ Perry (05:07): “You don't have to always be the most original. Really what matters is how do you execute.”

• Russ Perry (08:10): “Creativity is just another word for problem solving.”

• Russ Perry (11:16): “It's about trying something that could, if successful, help the business.”

• Russ Perry (17:23): “As a parent, you have to adjust your bar measurement.”

• Russ Perry (19:24): “Not everything goes well with this strategy.”

Key Insights

1. Redefining Creativity: Russ broadens the concept of creativity beyond traditional arts, positioning it as essential problem-solving across various domains.

2. Piggyback Design: Leveraging and combining existing ideas and successful elements from different fields can lead to innovative and effective business models.

3. Applied Creativity: Intentional and regular practice of creative activities in personal life enhances one's ability to innovate in professional settings.

4. Resilience and Learning: Embracing failures as learning opportunities is crucial for growth and continuous improvement in creative ventures.

5. Structured Goal Setting: Operating within defined timelines, such as 90-day cycles, ensures ongoing creative development and prevents stagnation.

6. Encouraging Others: Fostering creativity in others, especially children, builds confidence and encourages continuous creative engagement.

Conclusions

Russ Perry's journey with Design Pickle underscores the significance of structured systems and creative problem-solving in achieving business success. His innovative approach to branding through piggyback design and his emphasis on applied creativity offer valuable lessons for marketers and entrepreneurs alike. By integrating creativity into both personal and professional realms, Russ demonstrates how continuous creative development can lead to sustained growth and competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Listeners are encouraged to adopt Russ's strategies by embracing creativity as a skill, leveraging existing ideas for innovation, and practicing creative problem-solving regularly. Russ's insights provide a roadmap for transforming marketing approaches and fostering an environment where creativity can thrive both inside and outside the business context.

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For more insights and actionable marketing tips, be sure to subscribe to "Do This, NOT That!" and explore Russ Perry's Design Pickle services and creative projects.

Transcript

[Jay Swedelson]

Welcome to do this, not that, the podcast for marketers. You'll walk away from each episode with actionable tips you can test immediately. You'll hear from the best minds in marketing who will share tactics, quick wins, and pitfalls to avoid. Also, dig into life, pop culture, and the chaos that is our every day. I'm Jay Swedelson. Let's do this, not that.

[Russ Perry]

We are back for do this not that podcast. And we have a super duper awesome human being here today. Who is here? All right, listen, we got Russ Perry. He is the CEO and founder of Design Pickle. Now, you probably know Design Pickle, but. But if you don't, it is the world's largest subscription creative service on the planet. The guy has crushed it. They've designed over 2 million different designs that they've delivered. They've been on the Inc. 5000 list for like the last zillion years. The guy is a creativity like machine. He also has a great podcast which we'll get into. But, Russ, welcome to the podcast.

Jay, I'm super stoked to be here, man. Thank you for having me.

Nice. All right, before we get into creative stuff and design and stuff you could apply to your life, how did you wind up Design Pickle leading the charge on this whole thing? How did Russ become Russ?

Well, that's a long story that probably would, you know, require some parental advisory warnings, but I. I think the thing that I always go back to is I just loved solving problems as a kid, and for me, solving problems sometimes got me into trouble because I thought rules were stupid. But, you know, like many of us creatives, entrepreneurs, whoever it might be, you know, that is, that is kind of how it goes. We see things differently. We want to improve. And so as I went to school, got a degree, did all the normal things that, you know, you're kind of taught to do. I had an incredible job at Apple early on, you know, in the retail launch that they were launching stores, and. And I was. And it was a kush amazing job. Was fortunate enough to work for that brand when they launched. Not only the ipod, which hopefully people still remember that, the iPhone, the iPad. I mean, it was like banger after banger. And I got like a front row seat to what branding and marketing was. However, at my heart, I'm a nerd. I. I love technology. I love, you know, really geeky stuff. So I sort of mashed up my love for that and my love for marketing and what I learned. Launched an agency early on, but focused on like, B2B technology. Agencies and we did branding and stuff for them. I totally failed. Like, it did not work. And it did not work because I was young, I didn't know how to run a business. I didn't even know what, like a P and L was. But over that, I gained some really valuable lessons. And the biggest one was that, you know, systems and process really matter and actually are really lacking in design and creativity. And I took that lesson and applied it to a new business model. A wild idea that I had one night where I said to myself, I wonder if you could just have a subscription service to work with a graphic designer. You pay one flat rate. It doesn't change. You sign up. Like you sign up for Netflix and you just get whatever it is you need to get done. And that was in 2014. That idea came, launched Design Pickle. Just because it was a domain that was available. The name, and I love pickles. And we're knocking on 10 years, Jay. It's been 10 years since I've done that. And like you said, we're the biggest, we're the best. We help thousands and thousands of businesses get graphic design. And it's still that same core thing. Dependable, reliable, easy to work with, fun brand. And to this day, that problem solving piece of me is what I love the most. And I continue to put into my business and my life in many other ways.

So that's an amazing story and it's inspiring also, because it's like, okay, you failed. And I think that people get nervous about failing sometimes and you turn into success. And I heard you say something before getting into the topic of the day, which is this idea of applied creativity. I was watching you on a video and you said something that I was curious about. You said this idea of piggyback design, and there's really no original ideas, and you should get comfortable with that. And it's almost like the idea of your business, where it was an original idea, but really it's a design services business. What does that mean? What is piggyback design and how does that. How should we think about that with our creativity and our design?

You know, it's so funny, Jay. That's a term that I kind of made up related to the branding process. You're the first person ever to apply it to, like, a larger business container, but it's exactly the same. And let me explain what it is. Piggyback design. There's a kids game, you know, hey. Or, you know, play. You want to do piggyback? I do it with my young girls. They jump on my back and I carry them around. You use someone else to get, get through, move around. And, and, and the term originated inside of the branding process when people would be like, well, I want to create something, I don't know what. And I would say, well, go find some creativity. Find a brand you like. You know, it doesn't have to be in your industry, doesn't have to be in your space. You just think this is where it's at and you use that brand and piggyback off of it to build yours. So for me, that has always been a tactic for creation because nothing's original out there. I mean, maybe with the exception of like extreme, you know, quantum physics and biosciences where you're making metals out of whatever things you're creating. But like reality is everything is a better version of what's been done before. And with design Pickle, like you said, and I never thought of that. It was just a piece of what it's like to work with a full time person. You get to work with the same person. A piece of what it's like to have a subscription service, same price every month. A piece of what it's like to work with a freelancers or a team. You could like scale it up or down. If you need it, you don't, you know, and I took all of these parts of the way people used to get creativity and I put it together under one roof. So yeah, it's essentially that. But using it in a business context, and I love using it because you don't have to always be the most original. Really what matters is how do you execute. And when you're starting from zero, it's often very hard to go from zero to even 50% or 80%. But if you start at 50% because you put a couple things together, it's, it's, it's much better than to go from 50% to 80% or 90% and, and you don't have to have that like pressure of doing it all from nothing.

I think that's so great and so important for people to hear because I think, you know, I love Shark Tank, think it's a great show, but in some ways it screwed up all of our minds. Everybody thinks you have to create this like brand new thing in a brand new market. And that's not really how it goes. It's very similar. What you did, you looked at an inefficient market, the design space. You say there's got to be a better way to do this thing. And you piggybacked onto it and you created this awesome thing. And here we are. Design pickles is crushing it. And I think it's important for when they're iterating and thinking about their ideas that they understand that. So let's take it even a step further though. Now, outside of the world of design, in your business, you talk a lot about this idea of applied creativity in life and everything. Like, what is this? What are we talking about?

So quick antidote to get there. Over my career, I've been in the creative space, either as a kid and taking art classes. I studied industrial design, I worked for creative companies, I've had agencies. And there's this term that I hear that drives me up the wall. I'm not creative. I'm not creative. And I just thought that was so crazy because creativity has been often bucketed into a very narrow, small bucket of visual design. So when you say, oh, I'm not creative, most people or many people think about, well, can I draw, can I paint, can I do these things, can I make music? Or whatever. But to me, creativity is just another word for problem solving and sometimes creativity. The problem is I want to express myself and I want to express myself in a unique way. But it's also, what, what is it, what is it that I want to create, to accomplish a goal and do that in a, in an original way. And over the years I discovered that like, creativity is no different than any other skill. It's, it's, it's learned. And, and so then I got down this path one day and I was like, well, how do you be more creative and particularly in your business? Because I think many businesses would say they're not creative or they are boring, quote unquote. And a lot of that comes down to the leaders themselves and who's driving the ideas and who's driving the strategy. So people hire agencies and they hire creative directors and all this stuff, and that's great, but I've discovered like, if I am being more creative in other areas of my life, as a father, as a parent, as a romantic partner, as a friend, with myself just doing things that are creative, I actually build that muscle, really in a safe container. You know, if I do something weird and creative with my kids, it's a little different than if I do something weird and creative with my sales and marketing funnel. You know, if you, you do something weird and creative with your sale to market, if I go doesn't work, you're going to be in trouble. But if you're like, hey, kids, we're going to go check out this thing or do this project, and it doesn't work. Everyone has a fun time and no one gets hurt. Usually no one gets hurt. But the idea, the idea then is like, how do you safely practice creativity and build that muscle so that when it's time to be creative and build in your business, you're more competent? And that's what applied creativity is. It's like applying creative principles of being creative, doing out of the box stuff, challenging yourself outside of business so that you can then do that confidently inside your business. And I've been doing it for years. I find that it's, it's a, it's a thing that I'm proactively seeking and trying to always build that muscle and make myself more creative, but through the act of practice, like any other skill that people can learn.

So, okay, what does this mean in practical terms? Does that mean, like, you go out with your kids? Like, all right, kids, get all the leaves around that, around the house, and let's build an igloo out of leaves. Like, how do you actually do applied creativity in practice?

Let me show you. I'm so glad you asked. Here's my current project right now.

What is this?

This is called the Sabbath box. So what I did, it's a, you know, if you're religious, you know, the Sabbath is a Sunday. You're supposed to rest one day I was like, you know what? What if I locked up all the electronics in the house? Phones, iPads, computers, remote controls. What would happen? Well, my kids have a lot of enemies.

That's what would happen. A lot of enemies.

Well, you would think. And so I bought this on Amazon. You know, you could easily smash it, but my kids are younger, so they're, they're okay. And we did it. And it was incredible. About 10 minutes after the grumbling and the complaining, because I put my phone in there, I mean, every thing went in here. We just started hanging out. And they asked if we can play some games. And my two youngest, who are 9 and 12, sometimes don't get along. Both girls who are at each other, they started playing together. We walked to the restaurant nearby. I had no phone. I just had a wallet. And we just did it and hung. We did it for about eight hours. At the end of the day, we checked. I checked in with them. I unlocked it and they got them. At the end of the day, I selfishly also wanted to check my phone. They said the best part of their day was Sabbath Fox.

Wow.

And so I run little experiments. I do creative art projects that I'm terrible at because it's just fun. I think it's different for everybody, right? And it's, how do you break the pattern? How do you do something that's not been done but doesn't have to be crazy, right? It could simply be how you, how you have your day planned. It could be the activities you do. For me, creativity often comes in trying to be creative in music, in art. I suck in both those areas. But it is flexing that muscle. So it's not about one way. It's really, what's the thing that would be different than the normal approach to your Saturday afternoon or date night or whatever it is that you're looking at, trying to apply it towards?

I think that's awesome. And I also think it's important for people to be intentional about making a part of their lives. And it could also be, you know, for me, like, when I started this podcast, it. It's very. It's like being on a hamster wheel. It's tough, but it forces me to research and learn and explore things and try to come up with new formats and my little version of, you know, creativity that's out of my comfort zone. And I think for everybody, I think, right, it's important to be like, I'm not just gonna do this once and I'll do it again. Six months. It's something that you're trying to do ongoing as part of your life outside of work. Is it, is it like intentional? Like that you have something every week, month, or whatever you're trying?

So the answer is yes. But I try to do something every quarter. So I operate my life in 90 day timelines. And every 90 days I try to do one thing that pushes me with my health, my body. So that could be like a physical challenge. I'm going to do some winter hiking in December, um, with my family. So that's more often a trip, an experience somewhere, a new restaurant, or simply a museum we haven't been to. Or it could be more, more than that, right? Like a, like a trip out of town together in my relationships with other family and, you know, partners. And then in my business. And the business one usually is strategic. You know, I'm not just like winging it and trying to think of random things, but it is about, it is about trying something that could, if successful, help the business. So my podcast, Jar of Genius, is that project right now. It is a out of the box different, you know, non direct to the Funnel project that like probably you, I am invested in for the long term to create every week and to push something out there. But in the past it has been public speaking or it's been writing a book or it's been other things. So three or four things every 90 days and some roll into the next and some are easy, some take a lot of work. But I find that's a healthy balance. And you may not do it all. You know, there might be something that just you can't do, but generally you do one or two. Which is better than most people who do nothing and they're on their own hamster wheel doing the same thing over and over and over and over again and not growing creatively and not growing their experiences that can help them with whatever challenges they're facing.

I love that. I think I need to incorporate this 90 day thing. I don't know if I'm going to get the box and put my 17, 18 year olds phones in there because they might actually find a knife and hurt me. But I do love it. I have a question though before we wrap up.

I have a question.

So you have, you know, you have your kids, you have your daughters, right? And they come home and they, they draw something and now they show it to you and you're like the founder of Design Pickle, like this really giant design company and if they show it to you, are you like, oh my God, that's amazing. Or are you like, listen, your, your texture here is terrible, your color patterns are horrible. Like do you put on your design like chief officer hat? I mean what happens there?

So do I crush their create? No, I, you know, I am, I am. You might be super shocked to hear this, but my girls are actually really creative. Surprise. I actually just this morning. Yesterday was my youngest birthday. She turned nine and she's so funny and weird. Her favorite animal, not just fish, her favorite animal of all time is an angler fish. Which is like the fish with the light that hangs out in it, has the crazy teeth and eats other fish. Which I was like, how did you even. I know and like she loves it. She wanted a stuff animal and I saw a painting she did of it and it was awesome. I, I do like put, put the container of their age and skills around their artwork. So I'm not comparing them to professionals that I work with but I think it's super important to encourage, encourage anyone where they're at. And you know, my oldest was in, in, in orchestra, did cello. Was she going to go to Juilliard and be a Broadway cellist. No, but she was, it was her thing and she loved it and it created an identity and a sense of confidence for her that I don't think, you know, she would have had otherwise. And now she's at university. She's. And doing amazing. So I think as a parent you have to, you know, adjust your, your, your bar measurement. But I think it's just about getting those at bats and that's what's the best thing you can do whether they succeed or not. Like, I tried to do a creative project not too long ago with my two youngest. It was a very technical crafting project and it was a total disaster. And I like, everyone was upset and frustrated. So not everything goes well, you know, with this, with this strategy, by the way. Just spoiler alert. Just like if you try to lock your kids phones up, they would probably like, you know, smash your car window or something.

Yeah. Well, here, here's the most important thing. Everybody listen, follow and connect with Ross. Okay, Ross Perry on LinkedIn. But send him your doodles, your sketches, your artwork.

Yes.

Because he will give you critiques back on how good or bad it is and you know, usually positive reinforcement, but he loves it. So send those to him. And Jar of Genius is a fantastic podcast. We're going to put this all in the show. Notes and definitely designpickle.com check them out. Russ, what did I forget? How should people get involved in your world?

Yeah, I mean, look, we covered a lot, but there's three places I love sending people. First is going to be actually my newsletter. It's called Unlid. Kind of a nod to a pickle jar. Just russperry.substack.com I write there a few times a month. It's really about these experiments. It's about what I'm doing. You can read about it. Eventually I'll write about the Sabbath box. That's an active experiment. I. Yeah. If you are someone who is looking to bring on a fractional designer and work with an incredible software platform to help you and your teams create more at a flat, fixed rate, designpickle.com is the best. And through those you can find me. I'm Russ Perry on every media social handle. So that's, that's easy too. But love, I every day I post and talk about applied creativity on those channels. I'm always posting about why experiments and adventures and lessons of design. Pickle. So one of those things will get you there.

Love it. And I'm telling you, everybody excellent person to connect with and follow. So check it all out. We'll put all in the show notes. And check out Jar of Genius, the podcast. And Russ, appreciate you being here, man.

Appreciate it too. Jay, good luck with your Sabbath box and your kids.

Thank you. Thank you. All right, later.

You did it.

[Jay Swedelson]

You made it to the end. Nice. But the party's not over.

[Russ Perry]

Subscribe to make sure you get the.

[Jay Swedelson]

Latest episode each week for more actionable tips and a little chaos from today's top marketers. And hook us up with a five star review if this wasn't the worst podcast of all time. Lastly, if you want access to the best virtual marketing events that are also 100% free, visit guruevents.com so you can hear from the world's top marketers like Daymond, John, Martha Stewart, and me. GuruEvents.com check it out.