Frequently Asked
Straight answers to the questions we get most.
If you don't see your question here, write us — studio@greatbreadsny.com.
How we work.
- What is Great Breads Studio?
- Great Breads is a New York studio building brand identity, websites, and operating systems for founders, agencies, and government agencies. Founded in Harlem in 2006 by Mark Riley, the studio operates across New York, Atlanta, and Medellín. We're SAM.gov registered (CAGE 1Z8P1, UEI J2JXA434NS13) and serve commercial, agency, and federal clients under one house.
- Where is Great Breads Studio based?
- The studio is headquartered at 2031 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10027 (Harlem) with operating presence in Atlanta and Medellín. We serve clients across the United States and ship work from all three cities.
- What is the studio's typical engagement length?
- Most engagements run ninety days. Weeks 1–2 are discovery and positioning, weeks 3–6 are identity and system architecture, weeks 7–10 are website and operating-system build, and weeks 11–12 are launch and Studio Care. The ninety-day standard applies whether the work is brand identity, a Shopify build, or a full studio engagement.
- How does Great Breads work with new clients?
- Every engagement begins with the lead form — no spec work, no scope before discovery. We respond within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. After a discovery call we provide a written scope and a fixed price. Engagements begin once the deposit is received.
What things cost.
- How much does a brand identity cost?
- Brand identity engagements at Great Breads Studio begin at $15,000 and typically range $15,000–$22,000 for a full ninety-day build. Pricing is confirmed in the written proposal after discovery. The price covers brand strategy, identity system, applied use cases, brand book documentation, and Studio Care for the first thirty days post-launch.
- How much does a custom Shopify build cost?
- Custom Shopify builds at Great Breads typically fall within the studio's $15,000–$22,000 engagement range when bundled with brand identity. As a reference point, the OGYN engagement delivered a 234-SKU custom Shopify storefront in ninety days. Standalone Shopify builds (no brand identity) start lower; the exact price depends on SKU count, custom feature requirements, and integrations.
- What does Studio Care cost?
- Studio Care is the post-engagement retainer at $1,500 per month. It covers ongoing brand stewardship, website updates, content support, and access to the studio for everything that comes up after launch. Cohort 1 clients are honored at $1,200 per month.
- Why one transparent fee instead of monthly retainers?
- A single confirmed price means aligned incentives — we're paid to deliver, not to drag the engagement out. The proposal is the price. Post-launch we offer Studio Care as a separate, optional retainer.
What we actually build.
- What is brand development?
- Brand development is the end-to-end build of a brand system — strategy, identity, voice, and the assets to launch — from a single insight through to a market-ready brand. At Great Breads, a brand development engagement delivers positioning, a brand book, a custom website, and the operating systems behind them, all on a ninety-day timeline. It is the studio's flagship offering and the practice OGYN, MNBRS HOUSE, and NMH Credit Co. were all built through.
- What does a brand strategy actually include?
- Brand strategy at Great Breads delivers four documented assets: positioning (who the brand serves and what changes for them), audience definition, the line of argument the brand sits on, and a messaging framework. It is the foundation everything else stands on — identity, voice, website, and launch architecture all derive from it. The strategy phase is typically weeks 1–2 of a ninety-day engagement.
- Custom Shopify vs. a template — which makes sense?
- A custom Shopify build is right when the brand needs to read as a category leader — editorial design, custom interactions, premium register, performance hardened. A template is right when launch speed and budget are the constraint and the brand's visual register is genuinely standard for the category. Most of Great Breads' work is custom; the OGYN engagement was a 234-SKU custom build.
- Does Great Breads offer founder advisory?
- Yes. Founder advisory at Great Breads is structured strategic counsel for founders building brands meant to last — positioning, systems, and growth. We deliver twelve-month engagements covering business model development, market positioning, launch strategy, customer acquisition, and operational growth, with particular focus on veteran self-employment under the VA Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) program.
For procurement officers.
- Is Great Breads registered to do federal work?
- Yes. Great Breads is SAM.gov registered and active. Our UEI is J2JXA434NS13 and our CAGE Code is 1Z8P1. We operate as a Single-Member LLC under Great Breads Clothing, LLC, d/b/a Great Breads Studio. Designation: Minority-Owned Small Business; M/WBE In Progress; NMSDC Planned.
- What is the studio's primary NAICS code?
- Primary NAICS is 541613 (Marketing Consulting Services). Secondary NAICS include 541611, 541810, 541430, 541511, 541890, 315210, 315990, and 458110. PSC codes: R701 (Support — Management/Advertising), R408 (Program Management Support), and D-series (IT/Web Services).
- Who are the studio's target federal buyers?
- Primary target buyers are the NYC Department of Education, NYC Small Business Services, NYCEDC, NY State and City administrative offices, and Tier-2 subcontracting through prime contractors. We deliver brand identity, websites, operating systems, and federal apparel/PPE prime contracting under the same house.
- Where can I get the Capability Statement?
- The Great Breads Capability Statement is available as a downloadable PDF directly from the Capability Statement page. It mirrors the official one-pager — company data, core competencies, differentiators, NAICS, PSC codes, target buyers, and past performance.
Who runs the studio.
- Who is the founder of Great Breads?
- Mark Riley is the founder and principal of Great Breads Studio. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Morehouse College, with senior thesis work applying R and RStudio to political datasets. His professional path includes Goldman Sachs Global Surveillance (compliance, SQL-based monitoring), the Fulton County District Attorney's Office (paralegal on high-profile felony cases), and Asbury Automotive Group's Nalley Lexus and BMW dealerships (Top 3 producer, twice Salesperson of the Month). The studio's operating system is built on the sales discipline, institutional documentation, and regulatory rigor accumulated across those roles.
- Why does the studio operate from three cities?
- The trio — New York, Atlanta, Medellín — is deliberate. New York is the studio's HQ and federal contracting registration. Atlanta is where the founder lives now and where the studio serves agency clients building publicly. Medellín is where a portion of the studio's craft work is produced — the founder spent six months on Spanish immersion sabbatical there, and the dual-market footprint provides cost-competitive production capacity at scale.
About the free diagnostic.
- What is the Perception Audit?
- The Perception Audit is a free ten-minute diagnostic the studio runs on every brand it takes on, now public at /pages/audit. Eighteen statements across six sections (First Impression, Clarity & Positioning, Website, Social Presence, Proof & Trust, Perception vs. Worth). You get a score out of 90, an archetype (Premium, Undersold, or Best-Kept Secret), a per-section breakdown, three recommended moves, and a branded PDF you can download.
- Is the audit really free?
- Yes — free, no credit card, no required upsell. The audit is part of the studio's lead-magnet practice. We capture your name, email, and website, deliver your result and a downloadable branded PDF, and offer a call only if you want one.
Still have questions?