[Growing] a creative consultancy by publishing a print mag

Austė Skrupskytė Cullbrand on prioritising word of mouth and highlighting talent beyond the usual suspect cities

This post is part of the interview series Growing XYZ in which we hear from industry leaders growing businesses in ways that don't conform to traditional capitalist and patriarchal blueprints.

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Quick note to share that I’ve opened up several 1-1 Grow Beyond Social strategy sessions for Q4. It does what it says on the tin; you’ll leave our session feeling confident (dare I say excited?) about how to become less dependent on Meta algorithms to grow your brand and business online. I’m offering newsletter subs 20% off with code substack20 because I’m loving connecting with people here atm.

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This week I spoke with the brilliant Auste Skrupskyte Cullbrand, Founder & Strategist of studio playground, and Publisher of Playground magazine. Austė and I worked together at vintage design marketplace Pamono in Berlin and I’ve loved following the evolution of her work ever since. I was drawn to interview Austė for this series because of her commitment to growing a creative consultancy in ways that truly embody her values and creativity. Enjoy!

Based in Stockholm and originally from Lithuania, Austė brings her brand strategist and creative director expertise to her consultancy and magazine. With a background in advertising for global brands like IKEA, Volvo Cars, Zalando, and Netflix, Austė established Studio Playground to democratise the creative field – exploring fresh ways of working and helping meaningful brands, projects, and ideas connect with audiences through honest, smart, and playful creative work.

As editor-in-chief and creative director of Playground Magazine, Austė has created an award-winning, community-loved print publication that challenges the state of creativity and community by fostering honesty, play, and reducing gatekeeping.

Hi! Could you give us an introduction to your business and explain your role? 

I started Studio Playground after my personal experience working on both the client and agency sides as a strategist and creative. I felt there was a gap in the market for marketing and creative consultancies that excel in overseeing the full brand universe – from brand strategy and planning to content creation and production. Consultancies that can connect the dots. Consultancies that think about how to reach the right people, focus on distribution, and deliver strong copy and visuals to bring the whole brand world together. I also wanted to bring fresh ways of working, to democratise the creative industries, and to produce more honest work.

The magazine came along as a manifestation of this and as a portfolio project of everything we believe in. It’s a manifesto for the creative industries – a publication for imaginative minds. If social media is the ego, this is the soul.

The magazine has started changing what Studio Playground is in the best possible ways.

What does successful business growth look like to you?

1. Authentic – staying true to your lane and vision, playing the long game

2. Sustainably Distributed – never dependent on one platform or channel for growth or business

What do you want to change about your industry?

Less gatekeeping, less ego, and more honesty and collaboration. We need to be able to step back and understand that unhealthy competition within the creative industries is usually born from staying in your bubble too much. More people should learn to lean back and see the absurdity we sometimes create.

How do you define and measure success in a way that reflects your values?

Comparing the business to itself yesterday – our goals, our capacity, our values – rather than comparing it to another business. And hey, this is easier said than done, so I need to take breaks and holidays to re-centre and return to our vision with no distractions. If you are a founder, your business is your energy. So my personal definition of success is having healthy energy levels and a balanced life that sparks joy and play.

How has your definition of success evolved as your business has grown, and what prompted that shift?

Instead of being loved and “engaged with” by the many, knowing that we have a few loyal fans here and there has been the biggest mindset shift for me. I also hugely value word-of-mouth referrals – hearing someone share a good word about us.

Another aspect is internal, rather than external, success . The biggest success for me in the long run is having a team that wants to stay and play as well as clients and a community that stick around, recommend us, believe in us – and therefore invest in us.

What growth strategy have you implemented that most people in your industry might consider too risky or unorthodox?

Investing in publishing a magazine. Haven’t you heard, print is dead…? Lately, our magazine has been our most valuable entry point into literally everything.

What role has your community played in shaping the way you grow your business?

Community for our consultancy and magazine is everything. The goal of Studio Playground has been to attract and highlight more talent beyond the key cities such as New York, London, or Paris. We need to move beyond the idea that great talent only resides in the creative melting pots. We need fresh ideas and must step out of our bubbles. This has been greatly appreciated and embraced by our community.

​​What trends or practices in marketing or business growth do you think will be obsolete in the next five years?

Curating things to perfection, especially in terms of aesthetics. And don’t get me wrong – art direction is important – more for some businesses and less for others. Yet we need to start seeing brands as a bit more universal, like humans, able to step out of their comfort zones and show their rawness.

What can individual brands do to challenge a “growth at all costs” mindset?

I believe this is a founding value – a principle. Some brands are built to grow at all costs; good for them. I was once asked to join an agency as a co-founder, with a vision to build a “global empire” and then sell. Guess what I did? I said no and decided to launch a solo consultancy and publish a print magazine. Hey, world! We need more brands and people to speak up. I need other like-minded individuals to remind me of the goals of Studio Playground.

One of these is Paul Jarvis, who said,

“Culturally, growth feeds our ego and social standing.”

So it’s no surprise we like growth, which is often seen as success externally. But he also said,

“Sometimes ‘enough’ or even less is all we need, since ‘more’ too often equates to more stress, more problems, and more responsibilities in both life and business.”

This is something I can really relate to.

I highly recommend his book Company of One for founding ideas that are not necessarily about solo businesses.

Additionally, I have to share my favourite quote by the British economist E. F. Schumacher:

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.”

So what can brands or founders do? Be more vocal, tell your story. 

Name another brand who is growing in their own way who I should speak to next!

I always appreciate reading Sublime app founder Sari Azout’s thoughts.

You can connect with Auste on Playground Subtack and studio playground IG.

Speak soon :)

Matilda