We had the good fortune of connecting with Gueston Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gueston, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
What started out as a need for side income through custom branding and logo design has grown into a reflection of my values, my family, and my ingenuity. Over time, Guesscreative evolved into much more than a creative service. It is developing into the pursuit of freedom through design and execution. Freedom I create for my own family through legacy and generational wealth, and freedom I design for others by building spaces and brands that move with them.

From the very beginning, my thought process was guided by purpose and promise. I wanted to become better, so I self-educated. I promised myself that design wouldn’t just be about architecture or graphics, it would be about people, culture, expression, and impact. My late angel of a baby sister inspired me to think differently about accessibility and intentional design, while my parents instilled creative thinking, self belief, discipline, and integrity.

When I looked at the traditional path in architecture and real estate, I realized it often came with limitations such as rigid systems, slow timelines, and barriers of entry that didn’t serve communities well. I wanted to provide a service that broke those walls down. To do that, I immersed myself in modular and shipping container design, experiential design, branding, business / entrepreneurship, martial arts, and movable architecture. I found excitement in connecting these disciplines to create my own solutions to the world’s needs.

For me, entrepreneurship was always about freedom: the freedom to innovate, to move fast, and to bring ideas to life without waiting for permission. Guesscreative became my vehicle to merge creativity with strategy, to design spaces that are not just functional but transformative. It’s proof that design can be both profitable and healing, an engine for generational wealth, cultural storytelling, and new ways of living and working. At the core, my thought process was simple: build a business that reflects my values, honors my family, and creates opportunities that last beyond me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I move authentically and with purpose. The way I see the world has always been what set me apart. I collect & build skills like infinity stones, with the understanding that what’s meant for me will always come. I’ve been fascinated with developing my own avatar in this world, and there are few things more rewarding than having a purpose and working relentlessly toward it.

As a kid, my favorite movie was The Lion King. I couldn’t wait to be the king of my own kingdom. That story of responsibility, vision, and growth still drives me today. Professionally, that energy translates into having both the vision and the ability to execute with confidence. Synthesizing architecture, branding, experiential design, martial arts, and philosophy, I bring a beginner’s mind to every project while combining it with hard-earned life experience, empathy, and cultural fluency.

My path here wasn’t linear. I studied architecture at USC, worked corporate, developed a side hustle, joined a modular startup, became a two-time international A’Design Award–winning designer, and went on to lead multimillion-dollar modular and prefab projects as Head of Design. I’ve touched everything from residential and commercial architecture to branded environments, product design, and apparel. Each chapter gave me another “infinity stone”, a new skill, a new lens that now powers the work I do with Guesscreative.

Guesscreative is a vehicle for merging culture, design, and innovation into something that helps people create freedom. I’m most proud of building a business model that doesn’t just design spaces, but creates movable assets and opportunities that generate impact, wealth, and community.

The journey wasn’t easy and still isn’t. The world has a way of trying to reduce our confidence, to convince us we don’t have the power to shape our lives. Along the way, I’ve had to unlearn noise and distraction, and learn the power of stillness, patience, better decision-making, and consistent action.

The greatest lesson I’ve learned is that real success comes through subtraction. By removing what isn’t good or true, you create space for what’s meant to thrive. That’s the foundation of Guesscreative and Spatial Entrepreneurship to design in a way that cultivates confidence, culture, and freedom for others, just as I’ve had to do within myself.

I design for movement because freedom, culture, and legacy are never meant to stand still.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The perfect place to start would be my family’s spot in Fort Worth, Vassé Rendezvous. It’s a 10-acre private outdoor venue with a custom shipping container lounge, a serene environment where you can hang out, drink, and host unforgettable events. It sets the tone for everything I love about this area: space to breathe, connect, and celebrate.

From there, I’d give them a mix of culture, food, and energy across Dallas–Fort Worth. We’d hit Katy Trail for a good run, or Boulders in Grand Prairie for adventure, then balance it out with a night in Uptown for live music, murals, and creative energy.

If you like dancing, I suggest going to Double D’s. To recharge, nothing beats a late-night drive with the windows down and some good music. I’d also take them to the Kimbell Art Museum or the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and if it’s basketball season, we’d catch a Mavericks game & watch Kyrie cross someone over at the American Airlines Center. And of course, we’d close out a night or two back at Vassé Rendezvous, under the stars, enjoying the quiet under Texas skies.

That’s the balance I love about Dallas–Fort Worth, you can move between high-energy city life and peaceful open space in the same week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Two books have deeply shaped my journey and deserve recognition: The Power of Awareness by Neville Goddard and Mastery by Hazrat Inayat Khan.

The Power of Awareness challenged me to see how much of my external reality is created by my internal state. It taught me that vision, discipline, and imagination aren’t just abstract ideas. They are tools for shaping the life I want for myself and my family.

Mastery by Hazrat Khan reminded me of the beauty in aligning skill with spirit. It’s about refinement not just in craft, but in character. That book has been a constant reminder that true mastery is both an inner and outer pursuit.

Both works came to me at different points in my life, but together they’ve guided me to move with intention, resilience, and faith. They are more than just books on a shelf, they’ve been companions on my path, sharpening my awareness and deepening my purpose. Strongly recommended reads if you want to make some shifts in your life.

Website: https://www.guesscreative.com

Instagram: @guestoncordae

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guestonsmith

Image Credits
Guesscreative, A’Design Awards, Cise LLC, Expandable Trailers,

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.