After a 15-year career in finance, Amhad Freeman took a leap of faith and pivoted to design. Five years later, he leapt again—this time, leaving an established business in Nashville, Tennessee, and relocating to Chicago in 2021. What hasn’t changed since the big move? His vendor-first approach.

Amhad FreemanNick McGinn

You just moved to a new city. What’s it like finding a new group of vendors?
It’s important for me to get to know the vendors and suppliers first. So instead of getting to Chicago and trying to figure out how I’m going to get my first local client, my strategy is to figure out how to make relationships with vendors ahead of time so that when I do get the client, I’m well prepared.