Successful Rule Breakers: Solveig Petch and Rachel Allen of Triple Diamond Brand Design On How To Succeed By Doing Things Differently
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Committing to craftsmanship. The devotion is in the details. We take great care to get every last thing right — not as an exercise in showing off our expertise, but as an act of grace and care to our clients. Our decision to focus on quality over quantity and to perfect every detail has set us apart from competitors who often prioritize speed and cost-cutting. This informs us at the broader strategic level, as well as in terms of what tactics we choose for our offers.
In the world of business and within every industry, there are forward-thinking leaders who go against the status quo and find success. Their courage to take risks, embrace innovation, and inspire collaboration separates them from the competition. Until 2002, Apple’s famous slogan was “Think Different”. This attitude likely helped them become one of the most successful organizations in history. This interview series aims to showcase visionary leaders and their “status quo-breaking” approach to doing business. As part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Solveig and Rachel.
Solveig Petch (aka Petchy) is a values-centered, whip-smart brand strategist with over 20 years of experience creating remarkable branding for the quietly rebellious. Rachel Allen is a fast-thinking, deeply nerdy marketer with 15+ years’ experience providing heart-led, data-driven outreach for businesses and nonprofits. Individually, they’re exceptional at what they do. Together? They’re damn near magical.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
We couldn’t have grown up more differently. Rachel was raised in a farming community in rural Appalachia and then took a giant leap of faith by moving to Hong Kong to find work (hey, it makes sense when you’re 22!) She ended up falling backwards into copywriting and then lived nomadically around Asia and Europe for the next 10 years before moving back to the US.
Petchy is half Brit, half Norwegian. (She loves a good yorkshire pud, but loathes skiing. Thanks, dad.) She was born and raised on a remote island off the West coast of Norway, but spent all her childhood summers visiting family in England. She went on to study and work in the UK for almost a decade before returning to Norway in 2009. Growing up, she was a shy kid who never felt like she belonged; turning to nature, art, and books in lieu of childhood friendships. She was quiet and kind but somehow also fiercely defiant — which gave her the skills and experience in noticing combined with the deeply-held foundation of working from her values that informs her work today.
And then, the magic of the internet brought us together 🙂 We had shared clients and friends for years before we ended up coming together to do branding for a legal firm — and after being on a call for about 15 minutes it was clear that, despite our very different backgrounds, we shared a common foundation of values: human-first, masterful work that makes the world a better place.
Can you give us a glimpse into your journey into this industry and share a story about one of the most significant challenges you faced when you first started out? How did you end up resolving that challenge?
Petchy: I knew from an early age that I wanted to pursue a career in the creative field. First I was set on becoming a graphic designer, and went to art college for three years. When it was time for university studies, I stumbled upon Design Management and fell head over heels in love with the intersection of strategic thinking and creative implementation. I still spent years of my career — even after co-founding a design agency — doing soul sucking graphic design work for penny-pinching, micromanaging clients. Something had to change.
Rachel: I couldn’t have had a more different journey into the industry — I honestly didn’t know what copywriting was until the day I started doing it, I was sure I was going to be a journalist until I graduated into the ’08 recession and found that all the experience and fancy credentials I’d worked so hard to get were useless in that economy. I ended up building my freelance work into a business, and I became very successful with it. I was getting loads of repeat clients, and working with some of the top entrepreneurs in the business. But, I kept finding myself frustrated by the conventions of the industry that even my biggest clients felt hamstrung by. I finally had to make the decision to throw out the rulebook and risk my clients’ and my success on a different path, one that centered humans and was built on values, rather than winning the algorithm game.
Petchy: And that’s when we started working together, after we had both made those big changes in our businesses. I had changed my criteria to another caliber of client. Rachel had started working with clients who had the trust in her, and the similar foundation in values, to do work that didn’t conform to the standard narrative. And together, we decided that we were going to (1) trust in ourselves and our abilities and (2) only take on the work that really matters. We’d both done our time taking anything that came along, and we both had to overcome our own flavor of scarcity mindset — but it’s been so rewarding on the other side.
Who has been the most significant influence in your business journey, and what is the most significant lesson or insight you have learned from them?
Petchy: I didn’t connect the dots until years into my entrepreneurship journey, and this might be a dorky thing to say, but it’s my Dad. In the late 1970s he moved to a remote corner of a foreign country, he didn’t have much of a network, he didn’t even speak the language — but still, he managed to build a successful architecture practice from scratch. And remember: this is pre internet! In the early years, he built a small team and worked out of offices in our basement. I know it wasn’t always easy money wise, and he worked his socks off to support us. But he never. gave. up. His determination to succeed must have somehow rubbed off, and I consider that stubborn staying power to be one of the main reasons why I’m still riding the entrepreneurial roller-coaster!
Rachel: Early on in my business I made the shockingly good decision to surround myself with the smartest, most interesting people I could find, and to learn everything I could from them. (Contrast that with the shockingly bad decision I made to not pay taxes in two countries for three years. It all balances out!) I learned so much from my big-name clients — Shaa Wasmund, Jonathan Fields, Marsha Shandur, Todd Herman — as my lesser known ones, like the former jewelry buyer for Harrods, the woman who keeps the engineers at BP playing nice with each other, the salon owner who made the UK’s first carbon-neutral salon. If I had to pull one lesson, it’s that the money isn’t in the list, the course, the book, or the podcast. It’s in your relationships, always. The tactics and fads come and go, but your relationships are what will see you through the years of business ups and downs.
Can you share a story about something specific that happened early on that you would consider a failure but ended up being a blessing in disguise or ended up being one of the most valuable lessons you had to learn on your own?
Petchy: In 2009, I co-founded a small design agency with a close colleague. While entrepreneurship wasn’t something I had considered until then, I was excited to be turning our creative ideas into a business. Fast forward to 2015, things took a sharp turn. My co-founder and the board conspired behind my back, and decided to kick me out of my own company. The blow came completely out of the blue: they wanted me to hand over my shares and stay on as just an employee. I felt completely betrayed and devastated.
Despite the initial sting, this experience turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Being pushed out of the company forced me to rethink everything. Instead of staying down, I decided to start my own solo business — a scary decision, but also one that gave me the freedom to work on my terms. That gut-wrenching, downright humiliating experience taught me resilience and showed me that sometimes, what feels like a failure is actually a push towards something better. In hindsight, going solo was the best thing I could have done for myself. It became the catalyst that allowed me to truly flourish as a business owner and leader.
Rachel: I felt like I was failing pretty continuously early on — even though things were actually going pretty well. My biggest turning point moment was when I fired one of my very first clients. She was brilliant, and well-connected, but our values just weren’t aligned, and that took a huge toll on the quality of our work together. I remember very clearly having a conversation with my partner at the time about the risk of firing her — and how I ultimately knew that if I was going to do this kind of work at all, I had to do it in alignment with the things I deeply care about.
So I had a very tough conversation with that client, and felt like garbage, and kind of thought I’d never work again … only to find out that actually, it was well worth it to have my mental bandwidth back, and that working from such a values-informed stance led me to connect with the people I really wanted to work with. I’ve had the same thing play out across the years as my business has grown, and I’m lucky enough to recognize the signs now. If I’m starting to dread going to work, it’s a sign that something is out of whack.
And I honestly think that’s what led Petchy and me to start working together — we’ve both been in situations that were “almost perfect but not quite,” as the Shel Silverstein poem goes, and we’ve learned the value of remaining true to that which we deeply care about.
Leading anything is hard, especially when grappling with a difficult situation where it seems that no matter what you decide, it will have a negative impact on those around you. Can you share a story about a situation you faced that required making a “hard call” or a tough decision between two paths?
Petchy: That low point in 2015 was a pivotal moment for me. Leaving the boardroom that day, I faced a tough decision: the board and my co-founder wanted me out, but they still wanted me to stay on as an employee. It was a tough spot to be in — should I stay and work in an environment where I felt undervalued and betrayed, or should I walk away from the company I helped build?
I chose to leave. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. Leaving meant giving up on something I had poured my heart and soul into, not to mention the financial insecurity of giving up a stable income — but staying would have compromised my self-respect and happiness. This decision, as painful as it was, set the stage for my solo business venture.
Starting fresh on my own was challenging, but incredibly liberating. I could create a company that reflected my values and my vision. This whole ordeal taught me that sometimes, leadership is about making the tough calls that align with your principles, even if it means taking a leap into the unknown. Looking back, it was the right decision, and it paved the way for a more fulfilling and successful chapter in my career.
Rachel: I’ve hit a couple “rock bottom” moments that led to pivotal changes in my business, but my most recent one was a couple of years ago. The online business world had changed so much, and so fast, and we were all coming down off the high of that artificial boost of new clients that the lockdown gave us. My business was hitting a low point, and I was honestly not sure where my cash flow was going to come from. So I took myself off to a cabin in Mississippi, did a whole lot of thinking and planning, and figured that I had two paths: I could keep trying to work with everybody, or I could decide only to work with my most enjoyable, most profitable, most impactful clients. The bottom dropping out of the online market was a blessing in disguise, because it led me to feel like, “Well, I’m not making money anyway … why not take a huge risk?” And it paid off! I landed a CMO client in the legal industry and had a ball building their business for them, which then inspired even more new offers.
Petchy: And then, we started working together. We had this initial conversation that ran along the lines of, “I’ve been through this thing, and it’s made me make this decision with my business. How do you feel about that?” And it turned out that we’d both been working along similar paths! Triple Diamond was the natural development from both our “rock bottom” moments.
Let’s shift our focus to the core of this interview about ‘Successful Rule Breakers’. Why did you decide to “break the rules”? Early on, did you identify a particular problem or issue in how businesses in your industry generally operated? What specifically compelled you to address this and want to do things differently? Please share how you went about implementing those changes and the impact they had.
We knew we wanted to do something different with Triple Diamond from the start. Having both independently grown other businesses and gone through all the ups and downs that entails, we knew from the jump that we wanted to build a values-centered, human-first business.
That, of course, means that we have to do things very differently than most of the internet. Conventional wisdom in the online business world tells you that you succeed by doing three things: scaling, micro-niching, and being louder and more visible than everyone else. The main goal is to make a lot of money very fast. But we know how to make money, and we also know that while that’s of course important, it’s not ultimately fulfilling. Human-first work is tough. So we decided to go at it in the opposite way. We only take on two clients a quarter, and we don’t plan to change that. We work with clients who transcend niches, but all share similar values. And we deliberately didn’t “launch” — we’re running an intentionally quiet business. While the rest of the internet is going for churn (which throws them into a doomed competition with AI), we’re building legacy brands for bigger picture businesses.
In terms of impact, our approach has meant that we’re able to work only with clients we genuinely like and believe in, and take the time we need to do truly exquisite work. Our very first client was an estate law firm that went 6-figure profitable in their first month, and our branding for them was featured by the World Brand Design Society. We’re able to work how we want to work, when we want to work, and to the caliber we want to work — and that works out great for our clients and makes the internet sit up and take notice.
In the ever-changing business landscape, how exactly do you decide when to adhere to industry norms versus “breaking the rules” and forging your own way? Can you share an example?
Honestly, if we follow industry norms it’s usually by accident! We’re both grateful to have reached the stages in our career where we’ve done the work to become masters of our crafts — we know the rules well enough to break them. Plus, what we’re up to with Triple Diamond is so different from the normal “wins” that businesses in our industry go for, so that informs our strategy and has us making different moves.
For instance, we specifically decided not to have a launch for Triple Diamond, which is, of course, sacrilege in internet-land. We both know how to launch. We’ve both done it successfully for ourselves and for others. And, we knew that the people we’re interested in working with for Triple Diamond aren’t refreshing their Instagram feeds all day. They’re talking to their trusted friends. And so instead of wasting everybody’s time with a launch we don’t need, we’ve focused instead on cultivating relationships that bring us clientele.
What guidance or insight can you offer to new entrepreneurs trying to follow existing and accepted industry norms while at the same time trying to differentiate themselves in the marketplace?
As always, you have to learn how to follow the rules before you can break them. So we’d recommend that you understand what the rules are, and why they are the way they are, and learn how to follow them. Live into that for a little while. See what values underlie them, figure out why they are the way they are. Then, when you’ve got that mileage under you, start looking at where your values diverge from those underlying values, and start experimenting with doing things differently. That’s going to be a far more effective means of differentiation than any kind of gimmick or niche you can come up with.
Learn how to listen to that little voice inside of you, that nagging feeling of not-quite-rightness that won’t go away, no matter how much you try to squash it. The more that little voice pipes up, the more likely it is that it’s time to start shaking things up.
Here is the main question of our interview. To make an impact, you have to champion change, get creative, and take risks. Please think back about the decisions you’ve made that have helped your business get to where it is today, and share your top 5 strategies or decisions that helped you succeed by doing things differently. If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1 . Working from a human-first foundation. We’re humans. And so are the people we work with. Ultimately, we see business as an act of co-creation, not simply a way to build ourselves an ATM. We bring that commitment into every element of our work, and we expect the same from our clients and collaborators.
One of our top strategies is to actively engage with people on a human to human level, and this approach goes beyond just understanding market or customer needs — we genuinely value the humans who interact with our brand, whether they become a client or not.
We dedicate a lot of time to understanding the personal stories and aspirations of the founders we work with, and we choose to opt out of the idea that services should be commoditized, optimized for maximum profit, and every client should fit neatly into a predefined container. Instead, our method is based around a flexible framework that provides the structure we need — but that is also nimble and adaptable.
This human-centered approach allows us to tailor each client’s strategic brand platform in a way that resonates deeply with their core values and mission. By prioritizing human connections, we not only build stronger relationships but are also able to craft more authentic and compelling brand narratives.
Could we churn out more brands, faster, and make more money with a faster and more rigid process? Probably. Would the results we achieve on behalf of our clients be as good? Definitely not.
2 . Committing to craftsmanship. The devotion is in the details. We take great care to get every last thing right — not as an exercise in showing off our expertise, but as an act of grace and care to our clients. Our decision to focus on quality over quantity and to perfect every detail has set us apart from competitors who often prioritize speed and cost-cutting. This informs us at the broader strategic level, as well as in terms of what tactics we choose for our offers. For instance, we deliberately designed our offer as the opposite of the typical “VIP day” or “brand-in-a-day” trend, because we’re brandsmiths, not McDonald’s. It’s certainly a break from the typical “Ship fast/fail fast” culture of the internet, but one we’re doing based on our values, not in mindless reaction to a culture we don’t like, or simply as a gimmick.
3 . Focusing on bigger picture businesses. Our belief in the power of bigger picture businesses has shaped many of our strategic decisions simply because of how risky it is. In taking this strong of a stance about exactly who we’re willing to work with, we knew that we would be effectively alienating a lot of potential clients, and probably leaving money on the table. We know we’re good enough to work with the big, profit-chasing household brands because we’ve both done that before, but we’re deliberately choosing not to now. We know that doing work that matters for people we’re aligned with leads to better work, the kind of impact we want to have on the world, and money that feels good to make.
Our primary target audience consists of visionary entrepreneurs and established businesses who prioritize long-term sustainability, innovation, and societal impact over short-lived trends and immediate gains. By aligning our business strategy with larger societal goals, we help our clients succeed — and we contribute to positive change. This approach reinforces our belief that businesses have the potential to drive meaningful change and that success is measured not just by financial performance but by the legacy they leave behind.
4 . Working at our own cadence. In an industry that worships instant results, we made a conscious decision to work at our own cadence. This means setting our own pace and not succumbing to external pressures to deliver work to unrealistic deadlines. A prime example is our approach to project timelines. Instead of rushing through branding projects, we take the necessary time to fully understand our clients’ needs and to refine every element of our work. This deliberate pace has led to higher quality outcomes and more thoughtful, impactful branding solutions. It also reflects our confidence in our process and our commitment to excellence over expedience.
Similarly, we made a deliberate decision to stay small. We have no plans of scaling, and don’t intend to offer any sort of intro offer to create a broader funnel. We want to do exceptional work for exceptional people, not scattershot, half-baked work for anybody who will have us.
This approach allows us to stay true to our values, maintain our creative integrity, and deliver work that truly makes a difference.
5 . Keeping things simple. A lot of agencies use big words. We prefer big results. We don’t need to use a bunch of complicated terms or fancy dancing to make ourselves sound great. (Dancing is fun, but we’d rather save our energy to serve our clients better.)
Simplicity is a core value that influences every decision we make. We believe that clear, straightforward communication and design are far more effective than overly complex strategies. Simplicity, for us, is about making things clear and accessible, ensuring that our work is not only beautiful but also functional and user-friendly. It’s a reminder that sometimes, less is more, and that clarity and simplicity can lead to the most powerful and effective outcomes.
As a leader, how do you rally others to align with your vision? Also, how do you identify those who may not be fully committed or even silently sabotaging or undermining your efforts? What steps do you take to address these situations?
The first step to getting anyone to rally around a vision is being clear with it yourself — just like with branding, if you’re not sure who you are and what you’re doing, nobody else will know either! After that, it’s all about communicating that vision clearly, and giving people specific next steps as to what you’d like to get up to together.
We do that right in our tagline: “Legacy branding for bigger picture businesses.” Reading that, you can immediately get a sense of what we care about — doing good work that lasts for people who are in this for more than just the money — and you can immediately tell whether that’s something you align with or not.
As far as half-hearted followers or saboteurs, what we’ve found in our combined nearly 40 years in the industry is that they don’t tend to last. They might kick up a fuss now and again, but we keep our heads down and keep doing good work. We don’t need to get into comment battles or try to wrangle people into falling in line. The people who align with our vision stick around, and those who don’t end up looking elsewhere.
Imagine we’re sitting down together two years from now, looking back at your company’s last 24 months. What specific accomplishments would have to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
We’ll be happy to just be doing the work. That’s the reward for us here, to get to work with great businesses having a real impact in the world — which is, of course, how we impact the world ourselves — with an eye on the future and feet firmly grounded in the present. We’re not interested in scaling, or becoming the biggest, loudest people on the internet. We’re brandsmiths. We’re here to do a job, do it very well, and then move onto the next thing.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
To make the shift to human-first work. So much of the rot in our current system stems specifically from disregarding the humanity involved and focusing purely on growth, profit, all that abstract stuff. The more all of us are able to work with a focus on the human in the business, rather than the human as a resource, the better off we’ll all be.
How can our readers continue to follow you or your company online?
Website: https://www.triplediamond.vip
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triplediamond
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triplediamond.vip/
Thank you so much for sharing all of these insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience as the Founder and CEO of multiple companies. He launched Choice Recovery, Inc., a healthcare collection agency, while going to The Ohio State University, His team earned national recognition, twice being ranked as the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. In 2018, Chad launched [re]start, a career development platform connecting thousands of individuals in collections with meaningful employment opportunities, He sold Choice Recovery on his 25th anniversary and in 2023, sold the majority interest in [re]start so he can focus his transition to Built to Lead as an Executive Leadership Coach. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
Successful Rule Breakers: Solveig Petch and Rachel Allen of Triple Diamond Brand Design On How To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.