If you want to know why I do what I do…Brand design is how I help business owners like me.
This studio exists because running a business gets overwhelming fast. Especially when you’re doing everything yourself. I’ve been there and I know exactly what it feels like to exhaustingly need it to make sense. Like yesterday.
This page is a little different. No sales pitch. No hidden marketing magic. Just some things I’ve learned the hard way that you may relate to and my Manifesto so you can learn exactly how I roll.
Javier (Hi-Format boss)
I see you.
Overlooked, overworked, overwhelmed.
I see you betting on yourself when nobody else will.
I see you working twice as hard for half the recognition.
I see you Googling "how to" at 2 AM because you can't hire it out just yet.
I see you questioning.
If you're cut out for this.
If you belong in these spaces.
If you're doing enough.
I see you because I've been you.
I am you.
This letter is everything I wish someone had told me when I was drowning in the deep end, wondering if I'd ever figure it out.
I still haven’t, by the way, but I’ve learned a lot of things that make the ride more doable and a LOT less lonely.
And that's exactly why I'm writing to you.
Because we don’t want this. We need this.
Because the industry doesn't typically look like us.
But it could… If we prioritize community over competition.
Working with a skilled designer is one thing, but having a relatable experience within our identity? That's something else entirely.
That's the real.
You can't teach that. And you sure as hell can't buy that.
You're not behind.
You're not doing it wrong.
You're not an imposter.
You're exactly where you need to be, learning exactly what you need to learn.
Keep going. Keep learning. Keep supporting each other.
We need what you're building.
Read that again.
I’ll be seeing you out there.
🔥 Hi-Format Manifesto 🔥
Start with your why.
Focus on your why first.
When you understand why you started, why you're interested in your field, or even why you're struggling, your path forward becomes clearer.
I help overwhelmed and overworked entrepreneurs because I am one.
I sincerely don’t wish this on my worst enemies (well, maybe my WORST enemy…). I want to help people like me because I know firsthand how debilitating, draining and frustrating it is to be in a constant state of uncertainty.
Actually, start with you.
Ok I take that last one back.
YOU are the most important piece of what you're building.
The criminally overlooked part.
Learning to take care of ourselves and ask for help is so important.
All my homies and business baddies love supporting each other because we know we're stronger together.
That’s just how it is, pimp.
Do unconventional things in conventional spaces.
Look, if you’re always following someone else’s equation, you’re never going to get a result that’s yours.
You’ll actually always get the same result as everybody else does.
Fresh perspectives and new approaches are what people are after. Especially in creative work.
Doing unconventional things in conventional spaces is how we create newness.
Solutions are rarely one-size-fits-all.
So don’t be afraid to color outside the lines that someone else has drawn for you.
If you charge for what you do, you're a business.
It took me forever to accept this.
As a creative, I got caught up in the fantasy that if I was good at what I did, the rest would just fall into place.
EGHHH Wrong.
If you're asking for compensation, you are a business.
So, learn the basics: invoicing, contracts, client management, finances.
If you don't make time for business now, it'll force you (and cost you) to make time later.
Systems aren't a side quest. They're the console running your whole game.
You’re already running systems without even knowing it. Guarantee.
Every time you invoice a client, improve something based on feedback, or deliver a service, you’re following some kind of sequence.
The post-its on the wall and reminders on your notes app are systems too, just underdeveloped ones that could work so much better for you!
When you become aware of your existing processes, you can start improving them. You can spot when things get stuck, automate the repetitive bits, and even build checkpoints to catch problems early on.
You can't learn without failing.
As a recovering perfectionist, I overplan everything. It’s kind of my whole thing.
I spend so much time planning sometimes that there’s no time left for doing.
I've missed learning opportunities by being too scared to start.
Get comfortable with plans not working out, with inconveniences, and with shitty people. Our ability to adapt keeps us afloat.
Every misfortune is a learning experience if you learn how to frame it right.
Here's what I want you to remember.
You're not behind.
You're not doing it wrong.
You're not an imposter.
You're exactly where you need to be, learning exactly what you need to learn.
Keep going. Keep learning. Keep supporting each other.
We need what you're building.
Read that again.
You've got this. We've got this.
I’m Javier and I’m here to help business owners like me.
I’m a brand designer who helps overworked entrepreneurs like you build a brand to match your hustle. This means: looking as legit as you already are, having your visuals actually make sense with your biz and having a simple roadmap for growth.