Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Francisco.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a small liberal town in western Massachuset (Amherst). Family, spirituality, friends, and education played integral roles in my development as a thinker, creative and entrepreneur. Anyone familiar with this small town knows that its residence pride themselves on education and free-thinking.
As far back as I can remember, my thoughts were centered in some way, shape, or form around animals, science and art. After 18 years in the North East, I was off to Tuskegee University in Alabama, where I graduated as an Animal Scientist.
A few months prior to graduation and veterinary entrance exams, I developed an unshakeable urge to start some sort of entrepreneurial endeavor (the beauty of uninformed optimism). I mean the urge was palpable, it drove what I chose to read, it drove what I chose to talk about and ultimately drove me to Atlanta, where at the time my girlfriend was studying for her masters circa 2006.
For many of us alike, Atlanta is perceived to be a place of immense potential and opportunity – a burgeoning city that unfortunately got hit hard in 2007-08 due to the financial crisis. As a result, the city and my job found itself at a sudden freeze; I was laid off and this was the catalyzing agent fire I needed under my ass to make it happen. You have heard it before – “things may look to be falling apart, while in reality, they are falling into place”.
Bishop R. Wright once told me – “Mud and spit caused a man to see. We may not like how bodily God chooses to work God’s thing in the world and in us – we may even be repulsed by God’s process. But one thing is certain, no one is as good with the Yuck as God.”
Laid-off and feeling doubtful about my decisions to move to Atlanta; my girlfriend suggested I go to the unemployment office the next morning and invest my unemployment checks in starting my business (designing dog product); needless to say I was overwhelmed with pessimistic energy but for some reason, her words stuck.
I purchased my first industrial sewing machine; a Juki DDL-8700 single needle double stitching sewing machine for $500. Plenty of broken/jammed sewing needles and tangled bobbins later, I began to source textiles and hardware and within a month had the first iteration of my first collar and lead set complete.
Had a friend in 2009 who was learning to work a camera (no longer in my circle and that’s ok, you will lose some folks along the way and like everything else in life, you will heal). I would design the layouts of the products and he would photograph them for me; at the time it was a symbiotic relationship.
I taught myself basic flash and coding and constructed my first website. My website won a national award in HOW Magazine for design and the analytics proved it. I received my first online order three months after I had launched my site and expected a mass influx of orders to follow. (informed pessimism)
I began to scale slowly, rounding out my brand, hiring help and offering new styles and products. Two people were integral in this process. D. Jackson, my accountant (burgeonfinancial.com) and my ex-girlfriend L. Kirkland. I cannot express enough the value of having a great accountant in this scaling process. I had a lot of support with my girlfriend handling the heavy lifting of bills and rent (she was kind and giving and noticed my potential and even though we are no longer together we are great friends and I thank her for believing in me to this day)
After a few more notable publications told our story, I noticed there was another opportunity here, many companies were reaching out to me asking who was responsible for the build and design of the site.
Four years, four continents and 60 locations around the world carrying the products, I determined that the aspect of business that I was most passionate about and enjoyed was creating the Brand and Visuals, it was the design. I entered Boston University that next month to pursue a Masters in International Branding and Marketing.
I was approached by TK Maxx of London (a subsidiary of TJ Maxx) while in grad school to house our dog shampoo and conditioner (70,000 units). After many talks with my father and brother, it was clear this was not going to be possible and would have put too much stress on the business to meet their deadlines.
I sold the company in 2015 and focused all of my efforts on developing Reduced Design with my partner Lisa Li.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a journey that I have learned to enjoy. I think my greatest challenge was thinking I was ready for something way before I really was. The Journey provides avenues for an experience that you just cannot rush or force. Ask and learn and grow into your position; If you really want to be the best you can in your industry, take the stairs and learn over the time it takes to climb each one – I wouldn’t hire a “creative director” or “art director” who took the elevator.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Reduced Design – what should we know?
Reduced Design is An award-winning creative agency working nationally & internationally, specializing in innovative visual communication, branding, web design & print. Over the past year, we have been awarded contracts in Moscow, Russia for UAZ and currently, part of our team has been working on a few projects in Barranquilla and Bogota, Colombia for a major restaurant chain. We focus on “reducing” embellishments in design. We listen well, and then after we receive and understand all of the working parts that our clients present us, we methodically chip-away until the core values and design aesthetics are left. We are super proud of a project that we creative directed and produced for Dr. Sarah Vinson last year, an offset print magazine focusing on black mental health called Ourselves Black. You can pick up a copy in Quick-Quick in ponce city market or visit the website www.ourselvesblack.com. Working with us is fun, we are serious about our work and our final deliverables but we also really enjoy our interactions with our clients. We are people, people.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Patience, honesty, work ethic, good taste and the ability to finish what you start.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reduceddesign.com
- Phone: 4045581737
- Email: info@reduceddesign.com
Image Credit:
Images Reduced Design
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