Description:
T. Christian Helms didn’t grow up with a blueprint for becoming a brand strategist or agency founder. He grew up drawing, writing, listening to music, and following whatever captured his curiosity. That path eventually took him through journalism and fine art, into the world of design and branding, and ultimately to Austin, where he founded Helms Workshop and built a career working with musicians, entrepreneurs, emerging companies, and some of the world’s most recognizable brands.
In this episode of The Builders Podcast, Matt Levenhagen talks with Christian about what it really takes to build a creative life. They explore the mentors and relationships that opened doors, the importance of finding your people, and why genuine curiosity and enthusiasm can sometimes take you further than a perfectly mapped-out career plan. Christian also shares his approach to building Helms Workshop, protecting its culture, and surrounding himself with talented people who genuinely enjoy working together.
The conversation also turns to a much harder chapter of Christian’s journey: spending roughly a year and a half searching for answers while dealing with undiagnosed Lyme disease. Trying to keep an agency moving while his health deteriorated forced him to adapt in ways he never expected. His story is ultimately about more than branding or entrepreneurship. It’s about building a body of work, a business, relationships, and a life… and developing the resilience to keep rebuilding when circumstances change.
Key Takeaways:
- Follow curiosity before certainty. Christian’s career emerged from exploring art, writing, music, design, and strategy rather than following a predetermined path.
- Relationships compound over time. Mentors, collaborators, friends, and creative communities repeatedly shaped the opportunities that moved his career forward.
- Enthusiasm creates opportunities. Genuine interest, thoughtful questions, and a willingness to reach out can open doors that credentials alone may not.
- Culture is built through people. Growing a creative business isn’t simply about hiring the strongest portfolios. Character, chemistry, and shared values matter too.
- Adversity changes how you build. Christian’s experience with Lyme disease forced him to adapt personally and professionally while continuing to lead his agency.
- A creative life is something you keep building. Careers, businesses, relationships, and identities evolve. The work is learning, adapting, and continuing to create through each season.
T. Christian Helms
T. Christian Helms is the Founder and Creative Director of Helms Workshop, an award-winning branding agency known for building brands that don’t just communicate; they connect.
Over the past 15+ years, Christian has led strategy and creative for a wide range of brands: from bourbon to bone broth, from boutique hotels to craft breweries. He has partnered with household names like Jack Daniel’s and Hershey, as well as cult-favorite startups like Austin Beerworks and Howler Bros, helping them find their voice, shape their story, and bring value to people’s lives.
Several years ago, Christian was blindsided by Lyme disease and Ehrlichiosis that went undiagnosed for over a year. He went from leading a thriving agency to struggling to walk across a room. The healing journey was long, weird, and wildly unconventional. But through it, he had an epiphany: the same tools he used to build world-class brands—clarity, storytelling, design, and purpose—could be used to rebuild his life.
Since then, Christian has spoken across the country, sharing insights on creative identity, lateral thinking, personal branding, and how to find wonder in the chaos. He believes branding isn’t just a business tool, it’s a blueprint for building the career and the life you want.
THE MEAT OF IT!
- Discovering a Creative Life
- Growing up creative before knowing where it could lead
- From journalism and fine art to design and branding
- Discovering a field where writing, strategy, and visual creativity could coexist
- Following Curiosity and Opportunity
- Learning from Pentagram and other early creative influences
- Winning a portfolio competition and finding his way to Austin
- How enthusiasm and curiosity created unexpected opportunities
- Building Through Relationships
- Finding mentors, collaborators, and a creative community
- Networking before social media made connection easy
- Why genuine interest in people became a recurring advantage
- Building Brands and Helms Workshop
- Turning freelance opportunities into an agency
- Working with musicians, emerging companies, and major brands
- Growing through reputation, relationships, and creative work
- Protecting Culture While Growing
- Hiring for character, chemistry, and talent
- Creating an environment where creative people can thrive
- Why the people around you ultimately shape the business
- Building Through Adversity
- Navigating an extended battle with undiagnosed Lyme disease
- Trying to lead an agency while his health deteriorated
- Adapting, recovering, and finding a way forward
- Lessons From a Creative Life
- Curiosity as a lifelong advantage
- Relationships as part of the work, not separate from it
- Resilience, perspective, and continuing to build
Check out these related Episodes:
- Episode 288: Tina Larsson – Building Trust, Systems, and a Business by Solving an Overlooked Problem
- Episode 287: Allan Glanfield – Building a Snack Brand by Turning Travel Problems Into Kids Snacks
- Episode 285: Amy Foley – When Growth Stalls or Reverses: Building Through Change Without Losing Yourself
