Pop the champagne and bring in the cake… did you know we are celebrating a milestone birthday this year?
Yes, Anastasia Salazar Ltd. is five years old (although we don’t look a day over four!)
It’s been a wild five years as a branding and design agency, working with fantastic clients, building a presence across San Francisco, and navigating the pros and cons of running a business.
Join us as we look back at what we achieved, how we got started, and some of the amazing businesses we’ve helped along the way.
2019: Ads and bags
“I worked as an in-house designer in the past, and I knew the ultimate goal was to run my own design agency. I wanted to work with meaningful brands and women-owned businesses aligned with my values,” says Anastasia Salazar. “It was just a case of taking that leap.”
Before launching her agency, Anastasia took a job as Creative Director of Google Play Retail & Payments. “I networked as much as I could outside of office hours – I wanted to get the word out an share how I could help.”
Anastasia quit her job in June and started to get to work. “I joined a coworking space, applied for a business license, and before I knew it, we had our first client.”
The client in question? Udemy, a San Francisco-based online learning marketplace. “We created a Black Friday ad campaign for the brand, encouraging people to invest in their personal and professional skills. So many brands use black for Black Friday, so we used bright colors to make Udemy stand out.”
2019 finished on a high, art-directing a photoshoot in LA and designing a custom bag. “After working on websites and ads, it was fun to create something tangible – everyone loves a bit of swag!”
2020: Oh my blog
2019 was the year Anastasia Salazar Ltd hit the ground. 2020 was the year we started to run. We hired our first two employees – Emily Moore and Andreina Prado.
We hosted San Francisco Design Week, presenting a session called “Building an Agency from the Ground Up.” Not bad going after celebrating our first anniversary!
We also celebrated our first testimonial and launched our design blog, where we show off our expertise.
2020 was another year of firsts… in the form of a virus called COVID-19.
“Interestingly, the pandemic didn’t affect our business or how we worked too much,” says Anastasia. “If anything, branding became even more important to businesses as companies were pivoting and a whole new pandemic economy emerged.”
Finally, we started the tradition of our Holiday Card, something to send out to clients and local businesses to wish them a happy holiday and thank them. From posters to GIFs, we always try to do something different and a little bit quirky each and every year!
2021: Building brands, winning fans
“One thing we noticed in our first two years of business was that smaller companies seemed reluctant to get their branding in check,” says Anastasia. “They thought branding was something only big companies like Nike and Apple needed. We wanted to make branding and design accessible to everyone.”
As a result, we launched the Brand Builder Package. For a set rate, clients could get a custom logo, brand identity, and messaging, as well as their choice of deliverables. Simple, effective, and streamlined.
One of the first companies to sign up for our Brand Builder Package was Casa Hechizos, a business specializing in spiritual wellness. Just starting out, we helped them shape their brand identity, packaging, and web design.
After the project, we got an unexpected surprise on social media. “We were absolutely stunned to see artists like Kehlani, SZA, Summer Walker and Jay Versace raving about Casa Hechizos on Instagram,” says Anastasia. “It’s unexpected, but so cool, to see artists that you’re a massive fan of holding a product you designed.”
Add a feature in Abduzeedo, and 2021 was a roller-coaster of a year!
2022: Hallo Deutschland
In 2022, the world started to open up, and we got back to doing in-person events around the San Francisco area. It was nice to get out and speak to people in real time again!
Speaking of opening borders, we got our first international client in the form of Vantis Health, a Munich-based digital health solutions company. While we may not understand German, the language of good design is definitely universal!
We made 2022 the year we got organized. “When we originally put our working processes in place, it was 2019, and we were much smaller,” says Anastasia. “With more clients and staff, we needed to up our game.”
Not only did we streamline our workflows, but we also created an online client and team portal. That way, we could discuss projects and timescales, and share our work with clients – ensuring everyone was always in the loop.
Finally, we launched the next iteration of our Brand Builder Package.
“Some smaller businesses aren’t in a position to work with an agency but still want to invest in their branding,” says Anastasia. “So we developed the Brand Builder Workshop to help companies nail their messaging. We not only presented the workshop to companies in the area but made it available online as a virtual course the year after.”
2023: The year we went viral
We did a lot of housekeeping in 2023. We moved workspaces, launched our Brand Builder Course, and started our monthly newsletter.
However, we also had a mystery to solve.
“We suddenly experienced a random bump in website visits,” says Anastasia, “and we wanted to find out why. We did some digging, and it turns out that a Japanese blog shared the anniversary images we created for Twitter back in 2017. This led to a lot, and I mean a lot, of referral traffic!”
2024: A “clutch” of awards
While we may only be halfway through 2024, we’ve been keeping busy!
At the start of the year, we took on our first not-for-profit client. The CUNY Intergenerational Change Initiative is a fantastic organization that advocates for young people, and we loved helping them redesign their website.
It’s always fantastic to receive acknowledgement for the hard work you do. This year, Clutch named us “Top Graphic Design Company in San Francisco” and “Top Logo Design Company in San Francisco,” while Manifest named us “Most Reviewed Graphic Design Company in San Francisco.”
“These awards are so special to us as they are given based on the quality of work and positive client reviews,” says Anastasia. “They show that we’re passionate about branding and design and that our clients get results from the work we do for them.”
And finally, we published our Brand Builder Course on Udemy. Given that Udemy was our first client, it felt right that we came full circle!
What does the future bring?
So, what are our plans for the rest of 2024 and the years ahead?
“Following the success of the online Brand Builder Course, we want to branch out into other products” says Anastasia. “We plan to create templates for people to buy online, so they can design stunning websites and digital collateral that represent their brands, as well as drive conversions.”
“We’re also planning to redevelop our website and brand in the not-too-distant future, so watch this space!”
Here’s to the next five years… and beyond!
Our first five years in business haven’t always been easy. There have been invoices to chase, quiet periods of work to manage and massive pitches to work on.
However, it’s been fantastic working with value-aligned clients, helping women-owned businesses to flourish, and watching our team evolve and grow.
We’re grateful to all our clients for putting their faith in us. It’s wonderful to see them own their brands and hear their success stories. For example, Dr. Aditi launching her own book, and Sisu, one of our first clients, getting acquired by Snowflake.
Also, a big thank you to our incredible team of contributors, past and present, who made it all possible — Grace, Mariel, Marielle, India, Andreina, Juhee, Cheawon, Clara, and Kate.
(It’s starting to feel a bit like the Academy Awards, isn’t it? Don’t worry, we’ll stop now!)
Looking for a branding agency in San Francisco? We’d love to include you in our timeline moving forward! Reach out, and let’s see how we can grow your business with stunning design and branding.