Meet Larry Olson of Studio Lo in Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Olson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Larry. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story begins in Milwaukee WI and ends in Boulder CO. Between these two points I’ve had the opportunity to conspire with some of the world’s most interesting people and influential organizations. I’ve made short films with Spike Lee and I’ve tried to save the planet with Al Gore. My work has been praised by Jon Stewart and parodied on Saturday Night Live. I’ve spoken at the UN and to Mrs.

Howard’s 1st-grade class. I’ve built brand campaigns, creative departments and Ikea dressers. I’ve helped grow a small ad agency into a larger one, along the way winning back to back the small agency of the year awards. I’ve been fortunate to win Emmys, a Pencil, Lions and the love of Beth Armstrong. I’ve created work for Apple computers, Nike, Google and I can confidently say that the Tangle Town neighborhood garage sale committee is still the most challenging client ever. My creative mission is simple: find good people who believe in creativity and do everything I can to help. I’m looking to keep it simple. Find the value and communicate it well.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
At a young age, I lost my job. At the time, it seems pretty devastating. I was embarrassed and thought it was a sort of cultural black eye. But it actually gave me incredible confidence, because after I overcame the initial panic of how am I going to pay my bills, I found that it opened up so many new doors and opportunities. I’m pretty thankful that I experienced losing my job at an early age because I never again worried about working a job that I wasn’t 100% into. Not having that fear allowed me to leave the security and familiarity of a regular paycheck and strike out on my own.

Please tell us about Studio Lo.
Advertising has dramatically changed and economic forces have opened up new ways of working. For those who are leveraging this evolution, understanding the power of their networks and relationships is a competitive advantage. That’s why my work begins and ends with doing right for people. My focus is to create a relationship greater than any contractual obligation. My partners are at the center of everything I do. I believe, if you’re the one helping solve your partner’s problems, this will make you invaluable.

The studio’s three tenets are:
1. Hit every deadline
2. Aim to overdeliver
3. Be fun to work with

Whether you’re a business launching a new product or an agency trying to win a new account my objective is to listen, collaborate and develop ideas that create value.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
It’s something I would have started earlier in my career but I wish I would have spent less time wondering what others thought of my work and focused more on the things I can control (i.e., my efforts) instead of results I can’t control (e.g., whether I get positive comments on the creative work) What I found to be the way to overcome this is to just work really hard. We can control that. If I do that, I can accept the results. My goal is to create the highest quality work and then I let the chips fall where they may.

Contact Info:

• Address: Boulder Colorado
• Website: Studiolo.work
• Phone: 612.889.8398
• Email: larry@studiolo.work

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