#18 All in the family: finding balance in an intercontinental family business with Nick Akkanen The One That Works For You

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



We also mentioned these people/things:



Pink Dog Studio

Nick’s LinkedIn

Pink Dog on Instagram

Pink Dog on TikTok

Grab a 30-minute brand consultation with Pink Dog Studio

Martha’s website

Martha’s HyperFocus Week services

Martha’s LinkedIn and Instagram

Liv’s website

Liv’s LinkedIn



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