EPISODE DESCRIPTIONIn this episode, I sit down with Cat How, co-founder of How&How, to talk about purpose-driven branding and what it really means to build a business that reflects your values, not just your ambition. Cat’s journey into design didn’t start in a studio. She began in journalism, studying English literature and working as a writer before realising that observing creativity from the outside was no longer enough. She wanted to be inside the work. That decision led her to retrain as a designer, work across agencies in Australia and London, and eventually build multiple businesses before founding How&How. We talk openly about launching and growing an agency during the COVID pandemic while raising young children, building a distributed team across Lisbon, London, and Los Angeles, and making difficult decisions about scale, structure, and focus. Cat shares what it takes to lead with clarity while navigating pressure, responsibility, and long-term ambition. A central theme of this conversation is purpose. Cat explains why she believes branding carries responsibility, how her studio committed early on to climate-focused and impact-driven work, and what happens when values are not just a positioning statement but a filter for every decision. We discuss the reality behind purpose-driven work, including trade-offs, financial pressure, and the courage it takes to say no. We also explore leadership, working with a partner, burnout, and the emotional weight of running a growing business. Cat shares her perspective on AI and creativity, why she approaches new tools with curiosity rather than fear, and why human judgement, intuition, and conviction still matter deeply. This episode is not about trends or tactics. It is about conviction, long-term thinking, and building work and a business that feel aligned with who you are. If you care about purpose-driven branding, creative leadership, or designing a career that reflects your values, this conversation will resonate.
🔗 LinkedIn: Cat How🔗 Website: how.studio
