How to Work With Us: A Guide for New Clients

Most agencies make starting a project feel like a sales call. Fill out a form, get a pitch, negotiate a price. We do things differently — because how a project starts determines how it ends.

Step 1: Explore how we think

Before you book a call or fill out a form, spend some time with our content.

We've written extensively about strategy, branding, web development, and what separates projects that succeed from projects that struggle. These aren't marketing pieces designed to impress you — they're the actual thinking we bring to every engagement.

Why this matters: Clients who understand our approach before we meet are better collaborators. They ask sharper questions. They push back on the right things. They know what to expect — and what to demand.

Browse our blog. Listen to the audio versions if you prefer. Pay attention to how we frame problems, not just the solutions we propose. If you find yourself nodding, we're probably a good fit. If you disagree with everything, we're probably not — and that's fine.

Start here:

1. The Discovery Phase Is Not Optional — Understand why we won't skip straight to design
2. Why We Only Work With Three Clients at a Time — Our capacity model and what it means for you
3. When to Hire a Digital Agency Instead of Another Employee — Make sure an agency is the right move

Step 2: Tell us about your project

Once you've explored our thinking and it resonates, the next step is a short application.

This isn't a lead form that disappears into a CRM. It's how we prepare for our first conversation. We ask about:

• Your business and what you're building
• The challenges you're trying to solve
• Your timeline and budget range
• How you found us

Why an application? Two reasons. First, it helps us understand your situation before we meet — so we can come prepared with relevant questions and ideas instead of spending the first call on basics. Second, it signals mutual seriousness. We're selective about who we work with, and clients who invest time upfront tend to be better partners.

The application takes about 5 minutes. Be specific. The more context you provide, the more valuable our first conversation will be.

Step 3: Book your discovery call

After we review your application, we'll reach out to schedule a discovery call. This is a free 30-minute conversation where we:

• Dive deeper into your challenges and goals
• Discuss potential approaches and what's realistic
• Answer your questions about working with us
• Determine if we're the right fit for each other

This is not a sales pitch. We don't do pressure tactics. We don't promise the moon to close a deal. We have an honest conversation about whether working together makes sense — and if it doesn't, we'll tell you directly and often recommend someone who might be a better fit.

If we both see a path forward, we'll discuss next steps: typically a more detailed discovery phase where we dig into your business, market, and goals before proposing a solution.

Why this process works

The businesses we work best with share certain traits: they're established, they value craft over speed, and they treat agency relationships as partnerships rather than vendor arrangements.

Our intake process is designed to attract those clients and filter out mismatches early — before either of us wastes time.

For you: You get a clear picture of how we think before committing anything. You enter the relationship with realistic expectations. And you work with a team that's prepared and invested from day one.

For us: We work with clients who understand and appreciate our approach. Projects start with alignment instead of education. And we can focus our limited capacity on relationships that will be genuinely productive.

We review applications within 48 hours and respond to everyone — even if we're not the right fit.