Meet Alex Gulsby | Founder / Brand Director

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

Hi Alex, what is the most important factor behind your success?
People. 100%.

SLASH was founded in 2021 under a single premise—nothing can replace human creativity. A lot of interesting things have happened between then and now.
– COVID drove more humans than ever into freelance and independent roles.
– AI became a coworker.
– Companies started looking toward specialty shops for work once reserved for big agencies.

Our work is “MADE BY HUMANS,” always. It’s in the tagline. That has allowed our small firm to create consistently awesome, original work that isn’t tied down by processes, procedures, and rigamarole. We work with incredible people, stay competitive against big guys, and are unthreatened by AI because we put people first.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
SLASH is a design and brand company based in Littleton, Colorado. We build brands—whatever it takes—because that’s how our clients approach business. We treat every single project as if it’s our own personal work and that has allowed us to deliver really unique, “be proud of it” stuff.

Agencies love to say “be human,” but SLASH busts ass to define what that means. “Human” includes the raw, vulnerable, and imperfect things that don’t always make business sense. We treat freelancers as part of the team and pull them into client meetings as subject matter experts. We tell clients “no” when it’s not for the benefit of their business. We pass on work that we’re not a good fit for, but never without a referral to one of our friendly rivals.
What is “easy” when you’re running a company and people depend on you? It’s all hard, stressful, scary, big-jump work. But that’s why you do it. That’s the kind of thing that you can really be proud of.

We want SLASH to be a place where creative people can do their best work as their best self. At the same time, we want to connect awesome creative people with companies who value the power of creativity. It’s a win:win scenario when done right.

We got where we are today because our work is the best. It’s amazing the quality of what you can produce when people feel valued, heard, respected, and free to experiment. The same can be said when you treat clients like team members, and not just as your boss.

I’m proud of everything this team has accomplished. We have global reach, working with clients across more than 10 industries. We’ve helped electric, nuclear, and hydrogen energy companies communicate their mission. We’ve connected space and aviation companies with a general audience. We’ve worked directly with small business owners to prove to their customers that nothing matters more than “family owned and operated.” We’ve supported Fortune 200 companies in rebranding efforts that connect with real people. It’s been a hell of a ride already and we still have so much gma
gmato do.

Our company has 4 rules. Be human, trust your gut, give a shit, and stand for something. We sleep well at night when we know we respect the rules. It’s our perfect formula for being proud of what we do.

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.
We love nothing more than BBQ at Pit Fiend, bao buns at Bao Brewhouse, beers at Old 121, and brunch at Sams no. 3.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely everyone who has ever worked with or for SLASH deserves a huge shout out. Every experience has made us smarter, better, and motivated to work harder. The team keeps me stoked, my family keeps me sane.

Website: slash.am

Instagram: @slash.raw

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-gulsby/

Image Credits
Nathan Leach-Proffer https://www.speed-photos.com