We had the good fortune of connecting with Allan Manzano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my own business occurred twenty-three years ago when I was applying to graduate school. At that time, part of my letter of intent talked about someday having my creative agency, where I would make my schedule, make my own design decisions, and pursue projects for social gain.

The idea remained with me throughout my professional journey, and I felt committed to it. No matter what happens, I would have to deliver. I got laid off in 2017, began freelancing, and achieved creative independence. The momentum picked up, and I decided to commit to the vision years before. My word was bond, and I had finally executed it.

What should our readers know about your business?
Dynamo Design Group (DDG) is a minority and veteran-owned creative agency that helps brands develop their identity through visual design, illustration, motion, space, and creative storytelling. Our culture and ability to work intimately with our clients make us unique. A client once said that working with us “is like therapy” because of the remedies we provide, and it’s exciting to have this effect on someone and their business, inspiring us to do more. However, like most new businesses, there will always be a learning curve.

Business-wise, there isn’t a formula we follow. As a group, we constantly learn by doing and set ourselves in the best position to fail forward. That means we understand that our mistakes will make us better tomorrow. For example, our business is not about making a big sale. Instead, we learned it’s all about making our clients happy by doing good work, being friendly, easy to work with, and hitting those milestones for the client’s success. And we’ve learned by applying this work method that our business will continue to grow organically over time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If our friends visited the area and wanted to show them the best time, we would take them here. For food, we would go to Lolita’s for Mexican food, Haye’s burger in Barrio Logan, and probably grab a beer at 3 Punk Ales in Chula Vista. We would visit places like Balboa Park for site seeing, or go and take a boat ride to Coronado. And since it’s a week-long trip, we’d even go down to Tijuana or Rosarito Beach for more food and entertainment. To keep things simple, we would hang at the roof deck of our DDG office and chill out there. To us, that space is probably the most fabulous place to have a drink, socialize with exciting people, and have fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been in the industry for over twenty years, and within that time, there have been several moments and countless people that have provided me with support, mentorships, and encouragement. From college professors, colleagues, and family members. So, it’s difficult for me to pinpoint anything. However, the people I want to dedicate my shoutout to would be the groups that are underrepresented and recognized in this industry. That would be people of color and the groups promoting resiliency for gender diversity.

Website: www.dynamodesigngroup.com

Instagram: dynamodesigngroup

Linkedin: Dynamo Design Group

Image Credits
Image Credits: Dynamo Design Group

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