18. All in the family: finding balance in an intercontinental family business with Nick Akkanen

Mar 13

Episode summary:

Running a family business with his romantic partner and his brother in law (across time zones, no less!) is a wild ride. Nick generously shared some of the highlights and challenges—and got real about how the business is scaffolded by family support.

Nick Akkanen heads up the graphic design stream of Pink Dog Studio, a retail branding agency based in Sydney and Santiago, Chile.

Here’s what went down:

Nick shares the story of how Pink Dog Studio niched down (and why you should niche down immediately)

Is it Smell-o-vision or Scent Branding? We’re still not sure
Learn how much time Nick *aims* to spend each week on his brand
Nick shares how he crafts a business plan that allows him to stay nimble
Five minute jobs vs. eating the frog: Nick shares how he gets sh!t done on the daily
Find out how Nick knew it was time to quit his 9-5 and jump in with both feet (and the essential nature of family support)
Nick shares some of the highs and lows of business ownership between romantic partners
…and gives some tips for couples thinking of going into business together