Every December, we call every single one of our clients to hear about their year, celebrate their milestones, and talk about how we can support them moving forward.
This year, we did something that might seem a little unusual: we called our own co-founder.
Jean Perpillant, who co-founded Design Theory 17 years ago, also serves as the outgoing president of the Greater Haitian American Chamber of Commerce (GHACC) Orlando. And yes, Design Theory provides web design and marketing services to GHACC.
So we called him. Not as our boss. As our client.
Because if we’re going to preach the importance of reflecting on the year, checking in with the people we serve, and genuinely caring about their success – we better be willing to do it ourselves.
That conversation, along with the other calls we made this December, reminded us of something powerful: success isn’t always linear. It’s about showing up, building long-term relationships, and playing the long game.
Here are a few stories that prove it.
“I Am a Forever Fan, Forever Client. This Is Home.”
AnDria Giles is a personal development coach for women who desire more balance, freedom, and joy in life through her business, A FUEL Experience.
When we called AnDria, she shared a story that perfectly captures what it means to play the long game.
She worked with Nicole one-on-one back in 2023. In her words:
“It was the most poorly timed thing ever in life. Great decision, bad timing.”
Life happened. Things got messy. She joined the Zero to 2K Challenge in 2025. And yes, life blew up again.
But here’s the thing: AnDria didn’t see that as failure.
“I find myself this year thinking through what I walked through with some things she instilled back then. Not perfect execution, but the way that I thought things out are still supporting the progress.”
She told us about how she scaled back on some services, adjusted her time and pricing, and used the framework Nicole had shared to guide her email series and launches.
“Series of emails, launches—the framework of rules Nicole shared helped guide the process.”
And then she said something that hit us right in the heart:
“I am a forever fan, forever client for all of the things. This is home, I will forever sing its praises and so proud of you all.”
Her biggest milestone this year?
“Didn’t quit #1, showed up again and again.”
When Alexia shared her news about transitioning to focus on family, AnDria told her:
“You did phenomenal there.”
Because women supporting women? That’s what this is all about.
“Want to Hear from Us Early 2026 to Get This Current”
Jonathan Barber is a drummer who’s been playing since the age of 5. Born in Hartford, CT, he was first introduced to the drums by his father and began nurturing his passion at his family church. During his senior year of high school, Barber became a member of the Artist’s Collective in Hartford, CT, founded by Dollie and Jackie McLean.
When we spoke with Jonathan, he reflected on 2025 as “a great year” filled with music, teaching, and travel.
But he wasn’t just looking back. He was looking ahead.
“Want to revamp in terms of branding in 2026. This year was a great year, want to do more with music, teaching, travel, etc.”
And here’s the part that stood out to us:
“Want to hear from us early 2026 to get this current, ahead of what he has going on.”
Jonathan isn’t waiting until he’s behind to reach out. He’s not scrambling at the last minute. He’s thinking strategically about his brand evolution and planning ahead.
That’s what the long game looks like when you’re an artist building a sustainable career.
We talked with him about the short-form video gift we’re offering, and he requested the link via text so he could get started.
Jonathan gets it: your brand needs to evolve with you. And the best time to work on that evolution? Before you need it.
“Tell Jean I Said Hi. We Go Way Back, More Than 20 Years.”
Ugo DiGrazia runs Ugo DiGrazia AC & Heating, a business dedicated to providing the best possible solution for homes and businesses in the area. They’ve earned a reputation for doing the job right the first time.
When we called Ugo for our end-of-year check-in, he had a message for our co-founder Jean:
“Happy Holidays to Jean, tell him I said hi, we go way back, more than 20 years.”
Twenty. Years.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Ugo and Jean have known each other for over two decades. And now, Ugo is considering bringing Design Theory on board for social media management services. He’s meeting with someone else to compare offerings, and he wants to see what we have.
We’re sending over our social media packages, and we’ll be touching base with him in 2026.
But here’s what this story is really about: relationships matter more than transactions.
Ugo could work with anyone. But when you have a 20-year relationship with someone, when you’ve built trust over decades, that means something.
The long game isn’t just about business strategy. It’s about showing up for people consistently, year after year, and building the kind of relationships where someone says, “Tell Jean I said hi. We go way back.”
That’s what we’re building at Design Theory.
Yes, We Even Called Our Own Co-Founder
And then there’s GHACC Orlando.
Jean Perpillant is our co-founder. He’s also the outgoing president of the Greater Haitian American Chamber of Commerce (GHACC) Orlando. Design Theory provides web design and marketing services to GHACC.
So yes, we called our own boss to reflect on his year with GHACC.
Because if we’re going to practice what we preach about client reflection and relationship-building, we’re going to do it across the board.
When we spoke with Jean (in his role as GHACC president), he shared some incredible milestones from 2025:
“Partnerships with OUC, successful grand openings that we did for businesses—were really appreciated. This year we will be able to add that in to a membership tier for GHACC in 2026. That way it justifies the cost for us and shows value for being at that level.”
The grand openings that Design Theory supported? They were so successful that GHACC is incorporating them into a membership tier for 2026. That’s impact.
“Various workshops were successful, especially towards the beginning of the year—some Dt even made the graphics or updated the websites.”
And the feedback that meant the most?
“Communication and engagement is always appreciated and they appreciated level of communication received from Dt.”
Jean also shared that GHACC is heading into 2026 with a new cabinet and new leadership:
“New cabinet and leader and looking forward to his new styles and more of what we have done in the past year.”
The fact that we called our own co-founder—in his client role—isn’t just a quirky detail.
It’s a statement.
It says: We don’t just talk about valuing relationships. We live it. Even when it’s our own team.
And honestly? It was a great conversation. Jean appreciated the call. We got to celebrate GHACC’s wins. And we walked away reminded of why this annual tradition matters so much.
What the Long Game Really Looks Like
These stories aren’t about overnight success. They’re not about viral moments or instant transformations.
They’re about:
- Showing up again and again, even when life gets messy (AnDria)
- Planning ahead instead of scrambling at the last minute (Jonathan)
- Building relationships that last 20+ years (Ugo and Jean)
- Practicing what you preach, even when it means calling your own co-founder (GHACC)
The long game isn’t always glamorous. It’s not always linear. Sometimes you join a challenge and make it to day 5 before life blows up. Sometimes the coaching you got two years ago is what guides you today, even if the execution isn’t perfect.
But here’s what we know for sure:
The people who show up consistently, who invest in relationships, who plan strategically, and who keep going even when it’s hard—those are the people who build something that lasts.
Why We Do This
When AnDria says, “This is home, I will forever sing its praises,” it’s not just a testimonial.
It’s a reminder that what we’re building at Design Theory goes beyond websites and marketing campaigns.
We’re building a community. A home base. A place where entrepreneurs, creatives, coaches, and business owners can come back to—year after year—because they know we see them, we support them, and we’re in this for the long haul.
When Ugo says, “Tell Jean I said hi, we go way back, more than 20 years,” it’s not just nostalgia.
It’s proof that relationships built on trust, consistency, and genuine care stand the test of time.
When Jonathan says, “Want to hear from us early 2026 to get this current, ahead of what he has going on,” it’s not just good planning.
It’s a testament to working with people who think strategically about their future instead of just reacting to problems.
And when we call our own co-founder to reflect on GHACC’s year? It’s not just a nice gesture.
It’s accountability. It’s integrity. It’s walking the talk.
Here’s to Playing the Long Game in 2026
To our clients who didn’t quit, who showed up again and again, who planned ahead, and who’ve been with us (or with Jean) for 20+ years: thank you.
Thank you for reminding us that success isn’t always linear.
Thank you for trusting us to be part of your journey, even when timing isn’t perfect.
Thank you for understanding that the long game—the one built on relationships, consistency, and showing up—is the one that actually wins.
And to those of you reading this who aren’t clients yet: this is what it looks like to work with Design Theory.
We’re not looking for one-time transactions. We’re looking for long-term partnerships with people who want to build something meaningful—even when life gets messy, even when timing is off, even when it takes 20 years to get there.
Because at the end of the day, we don’t just want to call you once a year and ask how it went.
We want to be the people you call when you’re ready to take the next step.
We want to be home.
Ready to play the long game with us in 2026? Schedule a call with our team or join us in the next round of the Zero to 2K Challenge starting in January.
What does “the long game” look like for you in 2026? Drop a comment below or tag us on social media—we’d love to hear your vision.
