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Matt Chappell, class of 2001

SCHOOL OF SNOWBOARDING

 

Sugar Bowl Ski Resort Employment, part-time student.

Met peers Shane Dunne and Chris Schierholtz while snowboarding who encouraged me to check out CSU Chico and to consider the Graphic Design program. Sounded cool but I had no idea about it.

Finding CSU – Chico

  1. Sophomore Transfer Student (SRJC/Sierra College/Butte College)

  2. Mechatronics Engineering First Semester

  3. Communication Design; (Theme Artificial Intelligence) Class of 2001

  4. BookBuilders West Design Scholar

  5. Employee: Glissade Snowboard Mfg. Now Level 2 Industries in S.F. & Sugar Bowl Ski Resort

  6. Internship: Uncommon Agency in Sacramento. Worst interview ever by mistake, they called to apologize. Shane Dunne got me the gig. He was an employee at the time. Now working at Roark.

  7. I ended up leaving Chico too early. Debt was accumulating. More classes to take. Chico classes invaluable. But… the debt won the decision. Off on my own.

 

DEEP SEARCH

 Australia, Moo Design

  1. After graduation, worked for the Bohemian Club and in Sonoma County restaurants for four months.

  2. Saved $4K, purchased a one-way ticket to AUSTRALIA for $1,500.

  3. Surfed from Torquay to the Gold Coast. (Images: Matt swelldreaming at Tea Tree Bay, Adam scoping Bells Beach).

  4. Found full-time, temporary employment as a designer at Moo Design in St. Kilda, Melbourne.

  5. Worked for a year, fell in love with Australia, decide to leave, got banned for five years upon departure.

  6. Searching for reason, resilience, and building confidence in my craft and pursuits.

 
 
 

RELATIONSHIPS

“Welcome Home” Oakland Airport; couch surfing to desk jockey

  1. Dave Benton (Metajive founder now, back then Matt and Dave partnered at Grey Collaborative). Image of longtime fiends Dave and April Benton.

  2. Met wife Katie Chappell through Dave and April’s introduction.

  3. Found full time employment at Tahoe Donner Association. Lead brand update at 26 years old.

  4. 8 years spent, beginning as Associate ending up Marketing/Communications Director – profound experience +&-.

  5. Freelanced all the while from Tahoe to S.F. gaining experience, trial and error, keep it simple.

  6. Compostmodern AIGA event. Step up to cultivate meaningful connection to influential professionals.

  7. Become semi-pro athlete: Marc Pro/Strava. Many teammates are driven and successful, many remain clients.

  8. Thirty Day Notice to leave TD, +/- Debt Free. Hired as a contractor in transition. Left on a high note.

 
 

OLAB 1.0

 Launch: 2 partners, 2 – 1099 subcontractors, 3 interns, sense of humor 

  1. Launched Olab with $25K from savings. (Image landing page and holiday card below.)

  2. Responsive, Mobile-first digital studio, home office.

  3. 5 years of wavering pendulum-like success.

  4. OLAB Stuck Under Dark Clouds, risky deadlines, heart ache (lose partner’s companion to car crash, image of late Erika Grief and Nick riding bikes below.)

  5. Team break-up, two tough client deliverables (standing tall on stress mountain) olab preservers/delivers product.

  6. Friends, community step up to help and encourage new development, build new team, book new clients.

 
 
 

OLAB 2.0

 

 13 years and running smooth

  1. Katie Chappell joins full time to tighten up the backend business/remains as Studio Manager today.

  2. Matt starts developing more brand design projects and experiences success, client folio grows.

  3. Referral business rolling: (project reference: Stanford research projects: FASTR, ELITE)

  4. Revenue Stabilizes. Smaller studio footprint. No big pendulum swings. Big studio dreams fade away.

  5. Harmony to 100: (focus on well-being beyond the desk) yoga, paddling, mountaineering, mountain biking, snowboarding, coaching fitness, raising a family and bathing in the outdoors daily. (Networking, positioning, word-of-mouth marketing, get lost doing what you love, find friends, clients and referral supporters.)

 
 

REVENUE & EXPOSURE

  1. “Sweet Little Nothings” print series of Sierra Club Backcountry Huts.

  2. Launch community non profit (NPO) Truckee Dirt Union pro-bono.

  3. Nature Bathing, Community Building, Mountain Biking, Forestry/Trail Stewardship.

  4. Build 501c3, enlist board, build community of supporters.

  5. Test new brand and activist strategy ideas, find incredible reassuring success.

  6. Build programs, campaigns, and community events.

  7. Raise money, fund organization, write grants, create positive change.

  8. Executive Director (community visibility, inspirational person, cultivate positive change and measure its success).

  9. Patagonia mountain bike action team member.

 
 

REFERENCE MATERIALS

 

  1. Run Studio Run - Eli Altman (business operations)

  2. Design is a Job - Mike Monteiro (pragmatic, real life lessons)

  3. Don’t Call it That - Altman (naming process)

  4. You’re My Best Client (finding the needle in the haystack)

  5. TheFutur podcast - Chris Do (endless lessons and resources)

  6. War of Art - Steven Pressfield (creative flow state)

  7. The Collaborative Habit - Twyla Tharp (invest in and cultivate relationships)

  8. This is Marketing - Seth Godin (add business value and strategy to your creative mind)

  9. The Brand Gap - Marty Neumeier (fundamental, timeless ideas for developing brands)