30 Days of Oversharing my Journey of Building a Design Studio
Over 30 days, I shared one short video every day about the messy, exciting, sometimes overwhelming
process of building a design studio. The idea was simple: be honest, be consistent, and share the real
behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to run a creative business. This wasn’t a marketing stunt — it was a
documentation experiment.
I posted across LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, X, and Facebook. Each story was a snapshot — from the
wins and systems to the setbacks and mental spirals.
Below is the complete archive — Day 1 to Day 30 — with short descriptions and the video for each.
Day 1 – Why I’m Doing This
A 30-day challenge to share the honest journey of building Studio Mesmer.
Day 2 – Naming our studio and the pain of designing for self
The story of how we named Studio Mesmer… and how we almost messed it up.
Day 3 – The fear of hiring your first employee
A peek into how scary it is to hire your first ever employee.
Day 4 – How we hire without looking at your CV
We don’t hire based on where you have studied or how many years you’ve worked. We don’t even open
your CV
Day 5 – Collaboration > Competition
We don’t see other studios as competition.
Day 6 – One Excel sheet that changed how we function
An Excel sheet template to track every project.
Day 7 – Building a team culture
The hardest part of running a remote design studio
Day 8 – We don’t say yes to every project
Peace of mind > Profits
Day 9 – My remote setup
The importance of personal space.
Day 10 – How we stay productive
Our Slack setup
Day 11 – Why In-house projects matter the most
Lighting the fire inside. Igniting a spark.
Day 12 – Upskilling
Upskilling isn’t optional at Studio Mesmer
Day 13 – Dealing with clients
Handling clients who know it all!
Day 14 – Creative Block
What I do when I hit a creative block.
Day 15 – The truth
I don’t really know what I am doing.
Day 16 – Firing an Employee
One of the hardest things you do as a founder is to fire someone.
Day 17 – Redefining Success
What is success to me? It’s not just money
Day 18 – Running a studio isn’t just about design
All the hats you put on as a founder
Day 19 – Workcations are Real
How I almost travel for free by turning trips into work opportunities.
Day 20 – Why I do not like Hourly Pricing
Hourly pricing is a trap
Day 21 – The Client that ghosted us
The importance of contracts
Day 22 – The Month with Zero Clients
No leads, no projects. What we did instead.
Day 23 – Not Giving Up
23 Days of no virality
Day 24 – Pricing your design services
A guide to how to price your services
Day 25 – My Side Quests
3 of my professional side quests that guide me to success
Day 26 – Our new office in Singapore
Why we recently set up a new office in Singapore and where the next office will be!
Day 27 – The Proposal Redesign
We changed how our proposals looked — and doubled our conversion rate.
Day 28 – Leadership
What it means to be a leader?
Day 29 – The one client that changed everything
How my parents figured out what I really do
Day 30 – My Real Superpower
Not talent. Not strategy. Just the people who believe in me.
If you’ve made it all the way here — thank you. This series was one of the most rewarding things I’ve
done.
And if you’re a founder, freelancer, or creator thinking of sharing your own story — do it. You don’t need
to be polished. You just need to be honest.
Let’s keep building.