Happy birthday Off-Menu

A birthday? In this economy?

Happy first birthday to my kooky love child Off-Menu. 

Can you believe it’s been a year since I left Twitter? ME EITHER. 

A few reflections…

Starting a studio is hard. 

Starting a studio by yourself is even harder. 

Starting a studio as a solo strategist is next level pain. 

😅

Having said that, feeling more energized than ever!!

Building for the long-term feels noticeably different. 

For the first time (maybe ever?) I can see myself working on the same thing 10 years from now. 

And I think that’s because I have so much conviction in what we’re building.

Off-Menu was born from some of the biggest pain points I experienced both as a founder, operator, & consultant.  

Freelancing at dozens of agencies helped me see the opportunity to start a meaningfully different kind of studio—one that puts story at the center and truly makes clients feel like you are on their side. 

Let me elaborate…

Good design is everything. But a hot website without an emotionally compelling story that shows people where you fit into their world won’t get you very far. 

That’s why our approach revolves around helping you answer the big, existential questions—like why do you exist, what makes you different, how do you communicate your value? 

It’s what we call narrative-driven design. 

The other reason I started Off-Menu was to reimagine the agency-client relationship. 

Inspired by Danny Meyer & the world of hospitality our founding premise was that the experience of doing the work should feel as good as the work itself. 

Building your brand is a special occasion, one that should be celebrated and make the highlight reel for your career. 

Going through this process should make you feel seen. 

It should build your conviction in the opportunity. 

And most importantly, be fun!!

🙌

So yeah…one year in, 19 projects in the books. 

Started off strategy focused. 

Now we’re breaking into bigger, end-to-end design opportunities to bring the story to life across the customer journey.

Incredibly grateful for a big first year. 

Thank you to our clients, collaborators, & friends we’ve made along the way. 

Hopefully by year two we can finally launch a website. 🙈