Episode notes
In this episode of Beyond the Build, Shawn Johnston sits down with Katerina Lyadova, founder and creative director of Oddbee, to talk about what it takes to protect craft while building a healthy, sustainable design agency.
Kat shares how Oddbee grew from an ambitious “let’s make cool work” vision into a distributed boutique team with a strong craft bar, deep trust, and a culture that still stays human under pressure.
We also cover:
- How to hold high standards without burning people out
- Why “quality is not a lever,” and what to adjust instead
- What it takes to lead across time zones, including hiring for self regulation
- How to prevent remote work from turning into silent overwork
- Culture systems that actually work, including Odd Thursdays and team recognition
This episode is a practical look at distributed leadership, psychological safety, and the systems that help creative teams deliver great work without losing the people inside the work.
Keywords
website agency
agency operations
web production
wordpress
agency leadership
project management
beyond the build