Fort Family: 10 Speed Studios

There’s so much to love about Shannon Williams’ new studio space. It’s an eclectic balance of elegance and industrial. It invites you to slow down and appreciate the details. We’re thrilled to give you a first look, and share a conversation with Shannon…

Shannon Williams' new STUDIO at The Fort

What’s the focus at 10 SPEED Studios?

10 SPEED Studios is all about helping the solopreneur and small business with go-to-market strategies. In other words, if you have a widget—a product or service idea—but need help introducing it to the market place, we can help. From brand design and strategy, to content creation and distribution, and more. We’ve helped some of our clients with all of it—soup to nuts, as they say—and others with specific pieces of the process (creative content, social distribution, etc).

Why “10 SPEED Studios”?

When I was 10 years old, I entered a drawing contest I found on the back of a Rice Krispies cereal box. About three months later, I discovered I’d won first place! The grand prize was a brand new Schwinn 10 speed bike. Proudest and happiest moment of my life up to that point! You can read the entire story on my blog. Riding my new bike the day I brought it home was really the first time I knew what it was like to have my own wheels under me, and be able to get from point A to point B on my own. Best feeling ever. That excitement and sense of achievement is a lot like how it feels when you start a business, launch a new product, or introduce your brand to the world. You don’t get that far without having pedaled A LOT and worked REALLY HARD to make it happen. So as an agency, we’re focused on helping solopreneurs and small business owners do just that: get wheels under their ideas, and move from point A to point B and beyond.

You’ve designed a showcase space at 2050 South High. We might be biased, but we love the mix of elegance meets industrial. What inspired you?

The Fort itself inspires me, truthfully. I love old structures like these—so much character, grit, texture. And so many stories to tell. I remember driving by years ago, wondering what the place was, and whether I could ever get in to do a photo shoot. Walking through the first time made me love the space even more, so you can imagine what it was like to finally claim a spot of my own here and turn it into something that I could enjoy and even share with other people. Developing the studio space, my goal was to honor the original structure and play to its strengths: the exposed brick and massive structural beams, the distressed hard wood floors, and the like. One of my favorite parts of the studio has to be the old windows I use as dividers between my office and the rest of the space. Sometimes found objects, especially if they were once part of the original structure, can be repurposed into something both fun and functional.

“Sometimes found objects, especially if they were once part of the original structure, can be repurposed into something both fun and functional.” – Shannon Williams

Original windows become a wall for office space.

Why did you choose The Fort for your new studio?

I love what The Fort and its community is, and is doing. Great bunch of people here for sure, which makes my decision to build the studio here that much more satisfying. And truthfully, I love where it’s at. I like that new life is being breathed into this historic place in south Columbus, and is home to its own thriving business ecosystem.

If you could choose three bands to play your ultimate birthday party, who would they be—and who is the headliner?

Three bands?! I suppose artists count too, so: Lenny Kravitz / Sara Bareilles / Ray Charles. And Ray has to headline!

How can folks find you?

www.10speedstudios.com + @10speedstudios