Nathan Brookshire and Paul Davidge: Design More, Manage Less: Agency Representation for Your Design Firm

Today with Nathan Brookshire and Paul Davidge:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Nathan Brookshire and Paul Davidge of Design: Agency & Management share how they help creatives develop a financially sound path to achieve their goals and run their business in such a way that they have the freedom to focus on their zone of genius.

Pick it apart:

[12:51] LuAnn and guests discuss the criteria to work with Design: Agency and Management

[32:45] Nathan reveals the challenge all his design clients share

[37:27] Nathan shares how he helped a designer negotiate their fee with her client

[39:51] LuAnn recaps DAM’s monthly management/representation service

[44:15] Nathan shares how a designer would introduce DAM and explain their role to their client

LuAnn, Nathan and Paul’s Ah-Ha moments:

“The design industry has not been as successful as some other industries in articulating their value to their client.” – Paul Davidge

“You really need to hone your negotiation skills.” – LuAnn Nigara

“You’ve got to be able to stand up and play the chess game with them.” – LuAnn Nigara

More About Nathan Brookshire and Paul Davidge

Nathan Brookshire began his career in the finance industry, working as a financier to the Arts & Entertainment industries in Los Angeles upon graduation from Stanford University. As a banker, Nathan structured financing solutions for complex transactions, including fine art acquisitions, TV and film production, and real estate development projects. His banking experience led Nathan’s introduction to the art and design community in Los Angeles, and gave him a strong foundation in understanding the unique business, operating, and financial capital needs of creative companies.

Nathan continued to sharpen his business acumen at such blue chip companies as Barclays Capital, Warner Bros., and Netflix, working in mergers and acquisitions and leading corporate strategic decisions. Having forged deep connections within the art and design space, Nathan left the corporate world to bring institutional-grade financial and strategic advisory services to smaller, creative companies in need of analytical rigor and general business management.

In 2018 Nathan co-founded D:AM to formally represent and manage design talent. Nathan holds a BA from Stanford University and a MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Paul Davidge is the co-founder of D:AM as well as the owner of Not So General, a gallery for contemporary design in Los Angeles. Paul has an extensive business and operational background, first having worked as a finance attorney for Sidley Austin law firm working on $1bn+ transactions and then as a business development and strategy executive in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles.

Whilst in entertainment, Paul helped Relativity Media grow in size from less than 15 employees to over 300 in under 5 years. He also worked as Chief Operating Officer for Exclusive Media responsible for the international division of the company. Paul has also advised other production companies as well as high net worth individuals on business development, strategy and growth.

In an environment when creatives are taking responsibility for the own destinies, Paul co-founded D:AM in order to apply his experience to help them manage and grow their own companies and enable them to focus on doing what they love most – creating.

Connect with Nathan Brookshire and Paul Davidge

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Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

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