Today we’d like to introduce you to T. Christian Helms
Hi T. Christian, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in a small textile mill town in North Carolina. I was a creative kid, but had no idea that branding and design was something that you could do for a living. I was in awe of the skate graphics being pumped out by Santa Cruz, Powell Peralta, and T&C, but it wasn’t until late in college that I discovered design, and it became a huge focus in my life. I’ve always loved writing; mixing words and images to surprise, inform, or delight people is intoxicating. Brand building is a perfect mix of the strategic and creative sides of my brain.
After grad school for branding, I worked in Manhattan but became burned out pretty quickly. I visited Austin for a creative conference in 2003 and fell in love with its quirky small-town charm, cheap tacos, neon signage, and music scene. I moved here, without knowing a soul, soon after. A lot of my early work was packaging, posters, and merch design for indie bands: Wilco, Modest Mouse, The National, The Hold Steady, and others. I met my wonderful wife through that scene, and we have two sons and a rescue pup named Ziggy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My boss in New York told me I was ruining my career by leaving and could never make something work in a sleepy small town like Austin. The city and my agency have really grown together— coming here was one of the best decisions I ever made.
I’ve been very fortunate, but it hasn’t always been wine and roses. I got hit with Lyme disease a number of years ago, and it went undiagnosed and absolutely wrecked me. I was pretty much incapacitated for a couple of years and it took me a few more to battle back to health. I learned a lot about myself and my family during those years, and what I discovered guides my mindset and life today. I would love to have found it another way, but I’m grateful for the healthier, happier person I’ve become as a result of that struggle.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I founded a branding and design agency in 2010, and we have fourteen brilliant folks on our team. We help brands put a dent in the universe.
We build brands here in Austin and across the globe. Our local brands include Howler Bros, Tecovas, Alamo Drafthouse, COTA, and Austin Beerworks. Nationally, we’ve worked on Jack Daniel’s, Nestle, Everlywell, New Belgium, Target, and others.
We take strategy and distill it into poetry. Then, we set it on fire to create brands that spark long-lasting results and lifelong fanatics.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Playing in the ice-cold creek of our little fishing cabin outside of Asheville, NC.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://helmsworkshop.com/
- Instagram: @helms_workshop (Agency Insta) / @tchristianhelms (Personal Insta)
