Stakd was founded in 2021 by Tweed/Coolangatta local Kelsey Newie.
Kelsey completed her Diploma of Graphic Design in 2018 and went on to complete her Bachelor of Commerce, Majoring in Marketing in Perth.
With a keen interest in business, Kelsey tried her luck at a few different things over the years and has used her broad range of experience and customer-first approach to turn Stakd into the success it is today.
We asked Kelsey a few questions about her journey so far.
Where did the idea for Stakd come from?
I had a tradie mate who was going out on his own and knew I had a background in graphic design and marketing.
He asked me to create a logo, business cards, t-shirts, etc to help him in the early stages of starting his business.
As I was gathering inspiration for the job and finding print suppliers, it became glaringly obvious the unbelievable amount of bad work out there.
I quite literally had a light bulb moment, realising I could do something to solve this.
What does 'Stakd' mean?
I specifically wanted something that didn't have an obvious meaning as I knew I wanted to offer a broad range of services and didn't want to pigeonhole myself or have to change the name if I went in a different direction with the business.
I was also playing soccer at the time in Perth and would often hear the term 'they've stacked their team'. Which meant they'd brought down higher level players to give them an advantage.
I thought this was a pretty cool metaphor. I'm stacking people's businesses with high-quality work and assets that will also give them an advantage in the field.
And, the domain name was only available with the spelling 'Stakd' haha.
What's been your favourite moment in business so far?
Honestly, every time somebody tells me we nailed a brief that they couldn't even explain to another designer. Or when they're so surprised and stoked at how much they can get sorted talking with one singular person. It's so incredibly validating. I am reminded every day why Stakd needs to exist.
Maybe if you ask me next year I'll have a wildly exciting award I have won or got onto Shark Tank or something haha. But for now, it's the every day wins that keep me jumping out of bed in the morning.
A note from the founder.
I don't blame you guys for doing things yourself in the past. There are so many crappy, expensive, overwhelming options out there or designers and companies who just don't understand.
I've seen it a million times, I've done it a million times...
You get a bunch of quotes. They all have confusing terminology and you're not 100% sure they even understand what you need.
You're stressed throughout the whole process because you just know you've wasted your money on something that won't meet your standards.
And of course you end up with a sub-par product. You're annoyed at the company, you're annoyed at the wasted time and money and you're annoyed at yourself for putting up with that again.
This is why I built Stakd. I've tried and tested (what feels like all) graphic designers and print suppliers in Australia and pulled together only the best to create a service that allows you to get everything design and print related for your trade business all sorted, all in the one place. Hassle-free.
No more D-grade work. No more jumping through hoops. No more speaking to people who have no idea what you mean. Just epic, modern branding that you're proud to show off.
We've worked with hundreds of Aussie trades. I'd be stoked if you were next!
