Look Back, Look Forward

Hello!

Hey you, hope you have a sensational 2025!

2024 was neither a good nor a bad year for me retrospectively, it was seismic. Twelve months of one steep learning curve after the next which felt new, uncomfortable and tectonic which ebbed and flowed with multiple first-time life experiences and learnings that exponentially stacked on each other. For me, 2024 can be best described as ‘Phew’!

Started our brand design studio, Hellohello

Learnt that the Indian banking/legal/tax systems are not for the weak.

The year started with founding Hellohello as a strategy and branding studio with my wife as co-founder. It was the next most logical step after being an independent design director, and time to establish a more concrete and legit foundation.?

‘Start an agency they said, it’ll be fun they said.’

We had a couple of months of doing the fun design stuff; refreshing the brand, building the portfolio and website. Then I blinked twice and I was at the business end of a stack of bank and legal forms that needed to be stamped and signed on every page, front and back.

That was just the beginning of the tip of the iceberg that didn’t even scratch the surface, and I was quite unaware of the dense thicket that we call the Indian financial system that lay awaiting.

The documents and forms kept coming in and I’d never spent as much time in a bank office before, nor had I ever needed to scribe my signature eleventy thousand times. Eventually with accounts opened, permissions granted, and deeds issued, the business was alive!

I knew enough from a distance to admit I knew nothing up close, so I sought the help of a corporate accountant to sherpa me through the weeds. The more I’ve been navigating through our national financial maze, the more grateful I am that I asked for help early. Onboarding a corporate accountant to help me keep the numbers aligned feels like the flavour packet for success.?

All of this was well and good, but what would happen if something went awry, a verbal agreement was torn up, or an e-handshake was forgotten? Contracts baby, contracts! I had empanelled a lawyer who specialises in the creative industry and drew up some bad-ass legal documents and NDAs as a safeguard, just in case.?

Learnt how to better deal with the bad times and rise up for the good times.

Luckily for me, I didn’t need to apply any of the new shiny information I had just hunted and gathered since I was getting ghosted over and over again. There were some lovely potential clients, who did the decency to call/message to let me know things weren’t going to move forward and why, they were the minority.

But for the rest, I had to closely remind myself that ghosting says more about the ghoster than the ghostee. The neglect of an email or message just to say a simple ‘no thanks’ shows a lack of mutual professional respect and is a stupendous red flag.?

This went on for longer than I liked, one dead end after another and taking the high road doesn’t pay the bills. Admittedly, it was a low point in the year double teamed by a cuddling of self-doubt and a bear hug of imposter syndrome. Looking back at it now I realise that the bottom is a great place to start because the only way to go is up.?

I needed help to get emotional clarity before I could shimmy myself out of the funk so I started going for therapy. I’ve always been a supporter of seeking professional help for mental health, and it was time for me to take my own advice. And you know what, I was right! It made me realise that I was getting in my own way, tripping myself over and then blaming myself for it.?

Once I broke through all of the imaginary barriers I built around myself, it was time to ask for guidance. I was fortunate enough to get selected for a founder’s coaching session from studio Hue&Why, which transformed my perspective on how to be a founder. It was design therapy that made me relook at everything about Hellohello from the core to the foundation and impacted how I function as a business. These sessions were exactly what I needed and, more importantly, at a time when I needed them the most. This would never have been possible had I not stepped out of my cosy comfort zone and reached out for help.?

Learnt how to hire, inspire, teach, mentor and build a culture.?

Being a little more active and visible on LinkedIn has brought me some wholesome connections and a growing tribe. Not just to spread the good word on the value of design, but as my platform of choice to share, inspire, teach, learn and have better conversations. ?

I put up a couple of hiring posts which was honestly eye-opening to me as the inception of the culture of Hellohello that I’d want to inculcate. What kind of a manager would/could/should I be??

As I onboarded my team, the rules, freedoms, boundaries and transparencies started becoming palpable. I’ve been in multiple leading positions previously but never had the opportunity and responsibility to build my own culture.?

Special mentions...

This coincided in the third half of the year with a series of events to attend that lead to nine flights in sixteen days to three locations that would be amiss if I didn’t mention.?

It was a commemorative trip with the friends I’ve had for 20 years whom I consider my family. Brothers who have been together since college, with every meaningful event in each of our lives spent together; last year was the 20th year of solidarity.?

My wife started a beauty accessory brand named Bottu, which got shortlisted as a finalist by Estee Lauder in a Beauty&You event. The finalists got the chance to pitch to an esteemed panel of fashion icons, style moguls and industry leaders for a chance to secure funding, guidance and support.?

I was tasked with the thorough creative direction of a weighty fashion shoot for a client which entailed over a hundred and fifty products, four models, two photographers, make up artists, production assistants and one videographer over a gruelling three-day shoot.?

It’s time to pay it forward

I turned 40 and it’s a number that feels heavy with preconceived mid-life notions of where you’re supposed to be. Accomplishments and progress are subjective to the life you’ve led, so don’t let it get to you.

It’s not about the number but how you treat yourself after. For me right now, it’s not that the number of f*cks I can give has reduced, but the value of each f*ck given has increased.?

I’ve flirted with design education for many years, which grew into an infatuation with mentoring, and it’s now time to get into a committed relationship.

Starting this newsletter was one step forward to test the waters and your response has been warm and welcoming. As I write this, I’m at a humble 550+ subscriptions. Thank you, and I appreciate you!?

I was also chosen to be a mentor on ADPList, which means a lot to me since I’m now available to set up more formal 1:1 mentoring sessions. I’ve been working for almost half my life now, I’ve made umpteen mistakes along the way which means I’ve learnt from all of them, and it’s time to pay it forward.?

Workshops, coaching sessions, and mentorships

It’s time for me to take workshops and learning sessions more seriously and formalise coaching in 2025.

I genuinely love talking about design and democratising the science behind branding,? which is why I’m adding online and offline workshops to my repertoire.?These will be sessions for students, designers and entrepreneurs on all things design. There are at least 18 different ways for you to reach me and let me know what you'd like to learn more about, and I’m buzzing with excitement for the chance to meet you at an upcoming session.?

Until then, and as always, thank you for spending the time reading through this, I’m so very grateful to you. I’m always looking forward to hearing what your thoughts are in the comments.

Have the best year ever!

TL;DR

Starting your own agency is difficult and possible.?

Admit to yourself when you don’t know enough

Ask for help early and as often as you can

Any kind of progress is completely subjective

Ghostees > Ghosters

Never be afraid to ask silly questions

Comfort zones can sink you like quicksand

Get yourself every kind of professional help

Give therapy a chance at least once

Get an x-ray of your mental health?

Get yourself a mentor you can trust to guide and coach you

Be a good boss, to yourself and to others

Working independently is a relay race where you pass the baton to yourself

Take care of yourself and each other!

Sincerely,?

Bob Surrao

PS: Is there a brand/design topic you'd like me to talk about? Let me know in the comments!

You can check out the work at Hellohello.

Find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Behance.