Time With The Boss - Wayne White, Studio 2108

Wayne White
STUDIO 2108
Website: studio2108.com
Industry: graphic design and web design

Education: BFA, graphic design and illustration, Kansas State University

Family: wife, Julie; three kids

What is your mission?

Helping clients make the most of their web presence to grow their businesses.

What was your first job?  

I started cutting lawns in seventh grade, but my first job in the industry, I was an intern as a paste-up artist at a small print shop in the summer of 1990. After that I was hooked on graphic design.

What was your worst job?  

During high school I was a dishwasher at a pizza place and a laborer at my uncle’s roofing company. Both motivated me to go further.

What led you to your industry?  

I have always loved to draw, take photos and create visual art. Growing up in art class was an easy A. I built my first website in 1998 and I told myself I need to learn more about this, as everyone will need a website and not everyone needs or wants a brochure.

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?

This year Google started requiring that websites be mobile-friendly or they risked losing their Google rankings. So this past year I’ve focused on helping businesses transition their websites to the mobile world – which has been a significant benefit both for my clients and for my own business.

Who is your industry role model?

A friend of mine, Scott Oppliger – who I met in college – has been a person I always look up to, as he has built several companies and is always coming up with the next big thing and has been very successful. Every time I meet up with him, I am always blown away with the next big thing he is working on.

How do you try to differentiate your business from others in your industry?

We focus on creating effective websites that will get found. We design and develop custom websites using WordPress to give our clients total control and utilize the mobile responsive aspect that Google now requires.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

Being the HR department is the hardest for me because some new hires are not always a good fit and I have to let them go. Luckily I have my dream team currently working for me.

What’s the best part?

Having a great team behind me that is just as motivated as I am to keep our clients happy and take responsibility to get the work completed.

What best advice would you share with new entrepreneurs?

Never settle and treat every client the same and overdeliver as if it was the last job.

What’s your favorite place in St. Louis?

That is hard to answer, as there are so many great places to go to. Sitting outside on my side patio looking out onto Lafayette Park is the one spot I love to hang out.

What has made you successful in your industry and in St. Louis?

Having hundreds of satisfied clients has helped my company grow over the last 17 years and having an amazing staff to help me service them.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Grilling, biking and photographing cars. Twice a year I make the time to photograph cars and sell event posters to fuel my car passion.