Shop Talk Spotlight: Jolby + Friends

Kicking off the Shop Talk conference, Jolby & Friends founders Josh Kenyon and Colby Nichols talked about their experience building a creative studio.

Josh and Colby started as friends and coworkers, but quickly had to adapt to new roles and ways of communicating as their own business grew. They spoke to Shop Talk attendees about leaving your ego behind, and the importance of respectful collaboration.

One of our favorite snippets: as your business grows, you might end up doing less and less of what got you started in the first place. An experienced graphic designer, Josh now handles the business's bookkeeping. Maybe it's not as exciting, but it's also a crucial part of the operation. Embrace your evolving role, or if it's not for you, figure out what you need to change to get back to what you love.

Jolby & Friends continues to create such great work because anyone in the studio can contribute to a project. Shop Talk attendees got a taste of their process with Josh and Colby's hands-on activity called Ride the Weird. You sorta had to be there, but trust us: we finished with marker smudges on our hands and smiles on our faces.

Check out a sampling of Jolby & Friends' work in their online shop.

Photos by Gia Goodrich.