Why I Say “We” (Even Though It’s Mostly Just Me).

I’m a designer. And for the most part, I work alone.

There’s no bustling office behind the scenes. No team of minions handling the emails, or polishing pixels, or dreaming up strategy in a neon-lit war room. It’s mostly just me — sketching, designing, typing, overthinking, tweaking. Then overthinking again.

And yet, when I write about Caldeira Co., I often say “we.”

Why?

Well, first, because there is a “we.” My lovely wife Erin is an essential part of the team. She’s the voice of reason, my second set of eyes, an amazing brainstormer, the one who gently reminds me that yes I should probably get up and go for a walk. And she brings to the table retail knowledge and experience that I simply do not have.

But there’s more to it than that.

I say “we” because it sets the tone for how I work. Because even when I’m technically “the hired creative,” I’m not working for my clients — I’m working with them. What we’re doing is a partnership. A collaboration. A conversation. A we.

I don’t believe in client relationships where you just hand over a brief, walk away, and come back to a shiny new brand three weeks later. That’s not how good work gets made.

The best design comes from co-creation. From listening deeply, asking questions, trading ideas, making a few wrong turns, and finding our way together.

The we isn’t just semantics — it’s branding. It’s a quiet cue to my clients (and to myself) that this isn’t a solo sport. It’s a team effort, even if the team is small. Sometimes it’s just me and you and Adobe. But we’re in it together.

So yes, I’m sorta a one-man design studio. But when you work with me, we’re we from the start.