Half poet, half soldier, all brother
Matt Steel
Partner & Creative Director
God designed me to reflect his beauty and to help others whistle in the dark.
I’m a poet with a design habit, a father of four and a husband of one. I’ve been obsessed with language, symbols and aesthetics for as long as I can remember. For me, every day has goodness and health in it if I can make something, however small, that didn’t exist before.
A graphic designer by training and trade, I discovered writing along the way. My best work combines both disciplines. I’m grateful for a vocation that revolves around the intersection of word, image and typography. What’s equally thrilling are the moments when something I make helps a client fall in love with their business all over again and when I hear how it enriches their client.
Since 2003, I’ve worked with a range of ventures from boutiques and startups to Fortune 500 companies and major universities. I’ve done the agency thing, the studio thing, the in-house thing and the grasping-at-straws liminal-crisis thing. Steel Brothers is my third foray into self-employment, and hopefully the last – not a startup, but an end-up.
I love being outside, especially when waves or woods are involved. I’m a lifelong, below-average surfer. I worry that the world might not contain enough high-quality novels. I once tried to create my own language but got bogged down at verb conjugations. If I’m not click-clacking, sketching or covered up in kids, I’m probably staring out a window.
Jon Steel
Partner & Business Director
I’m a gun-collecting hippie, a dog-dad of two Golden Retrievers and a lifetime member of the Married-Up Club. (That’s not a real thing, but it should be – just ask my wife.)
From senior development to operations, in sectors from fintech to hospitality and logistics, I’ve had an eclectic career. I’ve broken ground and sold it. With over a decade of experience in the US Army, I’ve led soldiers in austere and demanding environments.
For me, the common thread has always been relationships. I love learning what excites people and collaborating with them to close the gap between possibility and reality. I believe God put me here to defend the downtrodden and show his steadfast love for the people and places that need it most. As a result, I do my best work in times of personal need and business venture.
If society allowed, I’d be in the woods all the time. Camping, fishing, hiking, hunting – I’m game for all of it.
Beauty draws me to wild places, and beauty brought me to Steel Brothers. While Matt’s our creative lead, my job is to cause the work and protect the space it needs to take shape.
I love our approach to branding because clients come away knowing more about themselves, not just their businesses. They become better leaders. Our work empowers people to not only give their brand a voice and a face, but on an individual level it restores their capacity, their focus and their understanding of why they’re doing what they’re doing. We don’t merely sharpen the image – we sharpen the people as well.
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
Jesus, Revelation 21:5