Doing Small Things Well & Empowering Your Team (with Matt Faulk)

We don't usually talk about business on the show, but the head of BASIC was willing to talk about how he runs his and we were happy to listen (and take notes).

Matt Faulk is BASIC's CEO and executive creative director. He always knew he wanted to do something big and is not surprised he ended up leading a company that does award-winning work brands like Apple / Beats by Dre, Nixon Watches, and BB Dakota.

"I had this idea of never settling... I just wanted to do good work — but I don’t mean good work as in creative work, I mean really solving client’s business issues, aligning ourselves as partners..."

His career has taken him all over the place, from basketball and professional BMX riding to bartending and graphic design. He says his goal with BASIC was to build a company where everyone involved had a stake in it, a say in it, and helped decide its direction moving forward.

Today, BASIC leads creative efforts across traditional and digital initiatives for some of the world's biggest lifestyle brands. Matt says they got there by engulfing themselves in their clients' businesses, becoming experts at doing small things well, and by putting people in the right spot. He also credits his network and the relationships he has built over the years.

“I wish in my younger years I would’ve focused more time on networking, which is why I’m trying to do it now. Because your network is everything. You never know when opportunities are gonna come....Just help people out, it always comes back.”

On this episode we discuss:

• Matt’s background and original vision for BASIC.
• Finding the ideal team size.
• Investing in growth and following your gut.
• Constant learning and networking.
• Finding your competitive edge.
• The commoditization of design.
• Focusing on production vs. ideation.
• Adapting to client needs.
• How to influence change and growth from within.

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