Beyond Clients: What we learned in Vegas

We just got back from Vegas.

Not the usual kind of Vegas trip… although there were blackjack tables, axes, knives, swords, mini golf, and a punk rock museum involved.

This was Maker Vegas: our first in-person retreat.

The theme? Beyond Clients.

Our mission was to help answer one big question: Once client work is coming in, how do you take your studio to the next level?

We attacked it from two angles:

• Building new income streams
• Scaling your team so you can take a step back

It was awesome. It was awesome to see people in real life that we’d only ever seen on screen. It was awesome to see unlocks happen in real time. And it was awesome to lose it all on Blackjack experience Vegas next to creatives I admire and respect.

In honor of Maker Vegas, this week’s Division Dispatch is a little different. I want to share what I can from the retreat with you all.

Day Zero: VIPs Only

We kicked off the retreat with axe and knife throwing at Area15. Nothing brings people together like hurling sharp objects… right? And let me promise you, creatives are dangerous… in the best way.

That knight night we dined at Primal Steak, a medieval-themed steakhouse where I had one of the best NY Strips ever… and wound up in a sword fight with Steph.

Then later, we had headshots and portraits taken under the neon lights of downtown Vegas. New social avatars anyone?

Check out the swag bags, btw. VIPs received a desktop pencil box I crafted by hand in my garage workshop (I’m a hobbyist woodworker).

👉 Mini-lesson: Sometimes the best business move is giving yourself a new image and investing in relationships.

Day One: Rock Your Income Streams

Steph was the frontman on this incredibly interactive workshop on building new income streams for your studio. Everyone picked one idea, evaluated it, and mapped their plan. Some went strategic, like a plan to buy a fabrication company. Others went passion-driven, like creating botanical art coloring books. Both approaches were valid, both had incredible energy behind them.

👉 Mini-lesson: The best next move balances strategy and passion. Ignore either and you’ll burn out.

That night we hit Swinger’s mini golf for food, drinks, and a lot of laughs. (I proved, beyond doubt, that I am not a golfer.)

Day Two: Scaling Your Team

I took the lead on this one. We tackled the hard questions about growth: What should I hire for? Who should I hire? When’s the right time to hire: both financially and logistically? How do I delegate without losing quality? What makes a good leader?

One funny moment was when I asked for “bad boss stories” and had to clarify: “Okay, does anyone have a story that isn’t… criminal?”

👉 Mini-lesson: In order to do more, you have to personally do less. Create the space for the work you actually want to do.

That night we went to the Punk Rock Museum (where I got to play Matt Skiba’s guitar… an out-of-body moment for me), grabbed gourmet burgers at Holsteins, and ended at the Neon Museum surrounded by Vegas’ glowing design history. Inspiration everywhere.

Breakouts That Packed A Punch

So many breakthroughs happened in the afternoon breakouts:

Signal Chain Marketing (Day 1, Steph)

Steph dove into the reality of marketing a product, which is a completely different challenge than generating leads for client services. We mapped out how to approach the first 1–3 months after launch, the first year, and the long game beyond that.

👉 Mini-lesson: Selling a product means shifting your mindset from chasing projects to creating a world people want to be part of.

Creative Ops (Day 1, Ben)

Running a creative team is hard. Most founders are still trying to “art direct by remote control” instead of leading with systems. The real unlock? True delegation. Hire people you trust, build strong processes, and enforce those processes. When you stop micromanaging outcomes, the team gets better.

👉 Mini-lesson: You don’t scale by doing more. You scale by trusting more.

Personal Branding (Day 2, Steph)

This one went deep.. deeper than expected. What started as a framework exercise turned into a mirror. People realized they hadn’t actually given themselves permission to figure out who they are, not just what they do. Tears were shed, and for good reason. The biggest takeaway: your personal brand is either the product itself, or it’s the amplifier that elevates your other income streams. Either way, it’s personal work first.

👉 Mini-lesson: Building a brand starts with building yourself. Skip that step and the rest won’t stick.

Profiting With People (Day 2, Ben)

This one was a game-changer. Most people in the room had no idea how burn rate and breakeven rate actually affect pricing. Once we walked through the math, it clicked: you can’t price projects on intuition if you have a team. You need metrics. The lightbulb moment was seeing how project profitability shifts as your team grows. For some, it was the first time they felt confident making hiring and pricing decisions.

👉 Mini-lesson: Growth without financial clarity is gambling. Know your numbers and you’ll play to win.

Why it Matters

Beyond the laughs, the late nights, the guitars, and the neon glow… here’s the truth: these breakthroughs don’t happen when you’re on your own.

Left to intuition and procrastination, most of us spin our wheels. But in a room like this, with coaching and community, clarity happens. Confidence happens. Momentum happens.

That’s what Maker Division is all about.

Hope to see you soon,

Ben Burns

Co-Founder

Maker Division

P.S. Shout out to Tony Kimble, a Division member who documented the entire retreat on camera. Stay tuned for some more epic moments.

P.p.s.Steph and I BOTH have birthdays in September. In honor of our shared birthday month, we’re dropping Special Deals all month long. The first one lands this week: Keep an eye out!