Can you tell us the story of how business was born?

3 Deep Design was one of those studios that arrived on the Australian design scene with little grace. Studios like ours generally fall from the sky, smashing through the clutter and noise of everyday life to shatter the conservative design status quo. Having little regard for the mediocre or the average, the studio preferred to assert its position through producing work of the highest detail and a unwavering commitment to creativity and craftsmanship. 3 Deep Design was established in 1996 by myself and David Roennfeldt. We met in our first year of college and formed a creative bond that has seen us work together relentlessly for the past 17 years. The name 3 Deep Design came from 3 young designers, sitting 3 Deep at a small desk. It was a humble beginning in a small residential space.

The studio has now been recognised with over 60 National and International awards of excellence and has produced work for premium clients such as Louis Vuitton (Japan), Madonna, Toni Maticevski, The Australian Ballet, Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Wheels & Dollbaby. In the fifth year of business, 3 Deep was recognised as the number one design studio in the world with directors under 30 years of age (Young Guns International Adverting and Design Awards). It could be said that 3 Deep’s products and services are now called upon by the finest bookstores, galleries, private clients and institutions around the world.

What was the hardest part of getting your business off the ground that you did not see coming?

We are very careful about the projects and people we pursue for new business. After 13 years of practice we understand the qualities that our clients need to have in order to produce successful work. We believe that while we can identify opportunities that exist in the brief or the circumstance, it is essentially our client who needs to recognise the potential and be comfortable in affording us the scope to pursue and develop a solution. For 3 Deep, recognising and nurturing these attributes in our clients is a vital and challenging part of design practice. We are essentially interested in those that understand the value of emotional and intellectually driven design. It makes life a great deal more enjoyable. In answering your question, I think that the hardest part of getting the business off the ground was seeking out those clients who could facilitate the quality of work that we wanted to be a part of. They are few and far between in Australia.

Was it harder to get your business profitable than you thought it would be? Why?

When you start a business at 21 years of age you think that anything is possible! Running any business is challenging and running one that focusses on premium high end outcomes isn’t any different. Is it harder than I thought it would be? Absolutely. Do I love that about it, absolutely.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

Every experience, both positive and negative has made us more resilient, more confident, more humble, more controlled and more excited about the possibilities of our work. It has shaped us personally and for that I am grateful.

Would I have done anything differently? Not in a heart beat.

What was the greatest advice anyone gave you?

Think long and hard about what has come before you, what your contribution is going to be and if you have the energy and passion to make one. If you don’t have a clear understanding of where you want to be ten years and how you can move design forward then perhaps consider something else. The time will fly and you need to be prepared to stand up and be counted, anything less is just a waste of your time.

What is your favorite website right now?

www.showstudio.com

Now these guys know how to do it properly.

What was the one thing you kept telling yourself when the going got tough??

3 Deep is something that doesn’t happen very often and when it does it needs to be fostered, developed and nurtured.

In the early days I had this belief that our competitors and peers would be working two hours longer than me every day so when I thought about finishing at 10 or 11pm I would do that extra 2 hours just to stay ahead of them. Multiply that by 20 years and that’s allot more investment.

Brett Phillip

Principle

3 Deep Design

www.3deep.com.au

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Girl With a Satchel was born of a love of words, pictures and need to express myself beyond the work I was doing at Girlfriend magazine (three-month lead times and writing for teens can be inhibitive). Essentially, it was an online extension of my professional interests – pop culture, magazines and pretty things, with added commentary on women’s issues and such. I launched the site on a very simple blogging platform, Blogger.com, and its audience grew very organically. Working in media helped, of course, but the blog has really only come into itself in the past 12 months or so.

Was it harder to get your business profitable than you thought it would be?

It was never my intention to make GWAS profitable. In fact, I’ve sunk far more money into it than I’d care to think about (and not just in buying magazines, but in the sheer amount of time I’ve dedicated to working on it). I knew it had potential to make money, but I have been blessed in that advertisers have found me, rather than me chasing them. The uptake of advertising on blogs by advertisers in Australia is a relatively new thing!

Why?

In Australia, it’s always a case of, “let’s wait to see how it pans out somewhere else before we try it”. So the online marketplace has been viewed with scepticism – we are all wary of what we don’t understand. However, I think there’s generally more of an appreciation for the power of digital media now, and also of blogs in their own right.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

Oh, yes. I would have been far more strict about working reasonable hours and taking time off, rather than so completely submerging myself in the site and my work. My relationships and health suffered.

What was the greatest advice anyone gave you?

To be honest, because it was all new and I was blogging independently, I didn’t get any advice at all. I completely winged it! Fortunately, as time has crept on, more bloggers and online contacts have come alongside me in various capacities. The greatest advice tends to come outside the work sphere – from my in-laws mostly, in regards to relationships, etc. My husband is also very good and rational with advice – probably telling me to keep at it when times have been tough has been good advice.

What is your favorite website right now?

Ooh, that’s like picking a favourite child! That’s REALLY tough! My blogroll is chockers with sites I love. Probably my favourites are the ‘pretty, creative & crafty’ links, which include MeetMeAtMikes.com, IHeartDaily.com and DailyImprint.blogspot.com.
What was the one thing you kept telling yourself when the going got tough? That I’m a little part of God’s grand plans so should just do my bit and put a smile on my face.

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Can you tell us the story of how business was born?
Handle Your Own PR began as an idea a couple of years ago.  Our full service PR agency, Handle Communications, was struck pretty badly when the economy went south.  Most of our clients were small business owners who were cutting costs to ride the GFC.  A lot of them still had newsworthy stories to tell.  We thought we should set up a business to help those that can’t afford to use our full service.  We decided a website containing free DIY PR advice that sold media lists was the way to go.  www.handleyourownpr.com was born.
 
Was it harder to get your business profitable than you thought it would be?  Why?
Yes!  Our website has been through three major incarnations.  Each one costing more than the last.  But as word spreads, and sales of our lists increase, we are finding we are close to making money.  Fortunately our full service agency has been going well so we haven’t had to rely on HandleYourOwnPR.com for an income.  Everything we make goes back into the business at this stage.  We are currently going through a massive growth stage though and hope to be making some money from the business this year.

Is there anything you would have done differently?
Rather than use a graphic designer to create our first website we probably should have gone for a professional web designer.  We thought we were saving money but it was a false economy really.  But it’s all been a great learning curve so no regrets.
 
What was the greatest advice anyone gave you?
What goes around comes around.  This is true in life generally and also in business.  The more our business offers to help others in need, the more our business grows from strength to strength.  We believe in fairness and kindness in all aspects of our business and we are constantly rewarded.
 
What is your favorite website right now?
I’m quite a big fan of www.MamaMia.com.au.  There is a core group of women on there that genuinely support and care about each other.  It’s entertaining and informative and always interesting.  It’s my little guilty pleasure.  I feel I have made some great new friends through that site.
 
What was the one thing you kept telling yourself when the going got tough??
What is the lesson the universe is trying to tell me?  In our case, if the economy didn’t crash we wouldn’t have started this great new business.  I’m a firm believer that the universe will lead you in the right direction if you take the time to tune in and listen to the signs.  So now whenever I feel I’m fighting an uphill battle, I try to go with the flow and see where it leads me.  Life’s more interesting that way.

an you tell us the story of how business was born?

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At the time I took care of Victoria and Tasmania for an Internet Security Software business called Trend Micro. I worked from home, made lots of money and had flexible hours. As this happened, I also turned 30 and started to feel quite disappointed in what stared back at me in the mirror!

The result was that I spent most of my disposable income and time in beauty salons! With time it started to become a passion of mine. I asked lots of questions and I soon became the ‘Go To’ girl for Beauty tips in my circles.

The 5 day peel was what entranced me the most. To shed the upper layer of dead skin cells from your skin gives anyone an instant, gorgeous and youthful glow – but in a salon it cost approx $700!!

One day whilst I was having the treatment done I thought to myself.; Surely we can do these ourselves at home for a fraction of the cost!

Homepeel was born.

I research the salon treatments for a about 6mths, took all the information down to a leading Australian Skin care manufacturer with the idea. Homepeel was to create the first range of salon quality skin care treatments for home use at a fraction of the cost. It took about 3 years to develop the range. But it was worth the wait

Did you have any prior online experience?

I was lucky enough to be introduced to the world wide web well before many as I had a mentor in Cairns who rented out campervans to Europeans for their holiday’s in Australia. He communicated with many of the Europeans via Email. Ever since that moment I can say I was quite smitten! I was at the time the National Sales Manager, so I was the person who floated nationally from office to office in the company. Due to this; I became the IT person’s right hand man. We were getting our websites up and rolling, Intranets, national CRM programs etc. It was all cutting edge and I adored it!

How did you go about selecting your web designer?

After scrutinizing many companies and driving nearly the whole human race insane! I decided to do a Dream Weaver course and do it myself. Of course this did not go well because Dreamer Weaver is not something you can pick up in 6 hours. But I did manage to get it to how I wanted it to look like then I outsourced it. I have an amazing IT right hand man and he is a god sent. You need to get someone who ‘gets’ you. Meaning your pedantic, perfectionist ways…

How long have you been operating for now?

About 5 years

What are you most proud of to date?

That I’m still here

Another highlight was being featured in the Herald Suns Body + Soul.

Plus every time someone uses my Flakey Skin Remover and tells me it’s the best beauty product they have ever used! (Happens all the time) (This is our exfoliating skin polish)

What are you looking forward to this year?

We are very focused on really expanding our SEO potential. We have started to outsource this work, which was hard for me as I adore the whole concept of it!

Another thing we are focused on this year is getting into print media. We have 5 Homepeel magazine competitions over the next 3ths. You have to stay very close to the editors and eventually they give you a break!

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

Walk the path!!

If you were to do it all again, what would you change and why?

I don’t believe in changing things. You need to have 100% faith in all that you do and what happens to you 100% of the time. Everything really does happen for a reason and it always unfolds in time. Sometimes it takes longer than you want it to.

I love the following quote from Thomas Edison

I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once.

I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work.

When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.

–Thomas Edison

Jodie Culpin

www.homepeel.com.au

www.peel-chemical.com

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