Dauss Miller

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

I’m Dauss Miller, a photographer, director and co-founder of Planet Ü Creative Agency. I’m originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, and have called Austin home since moving my family here in late 2021.

My father gave me a camera when I was around ten, and that curiosity eventually became a career spanning nearly three decades. I’ve photographed luxury weddings around the world, created commercial work for brands including Target, Adobe and Google, and taught other photographers.

Today, I bring that experience into helping founders and leaders express who they are through their brands. I’m also a husband, father and drummer. Art, family and a fascination with people run through everything I do.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

I love Austin’s creative energy. There are musicians, artists and entrepreneurs here pursuing ideas they care deeply about, and I enjoy being around that. As someone who works across photography, music and business, I appreciate a city where those worlds meet so naturally. Community is powerful here.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

Planet Ü helps founders and leaders build a public presence that reflects the caliber of their work. We shape their positioning and message, create photography and films, build websites, and support their visibility through content, media and advertising.

The agency grew out of my experience photographing people and my interest in the person behind the image. I wanted to bring more of their personality, ideas and ambition into the work, then carry that understanding through every place someone encounters their brand.

That became the foundation for The Icon Method™, our signature process for connecting identity, message, imagery and authority.

For our clients, that means having clear language for what they do, creative work they feel proud to share, and a cohesive presence that helps people understand their value. We build with practical opportunities in mind: relevant clients, speaking engagements, partnerships and room for their next chapter.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

Get close to the people you want to serve. Ask great questions. Learn what matters to them, what they’re struggling with and what a meaningful result would look like. Build a clear offer around something you can deliver well.

Know your numbers early. Understand what it costs to do the work, including your time, and price it so you can keep doing it with care.

Give people a reason to trust you. Communicate clearly, follow through and take responsibility for the experience you create. Those habits become your reputation, and your reputation travels fast.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

A recent client’s reaction to seeing the direction for his new website comes to mind. He was immediately enthusiastic and ready to move forward.

That response meant a lot because we were bringing a new vision for his brand into view. So much of the early work happens through conversation, listening and imagining what’s possible. Then there’s a moment when the client can actually see it taking shape.

I love that moment. Their excitement becomes part of the creative process, and we get to build from a shared belief in where the work can go.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I see Planet Ü becoming a creative home for founders and leaders with something meaningful to contribute. I want people to come to us with an ambitious vision and feel that we have the imagination, experience and care to help bring it into the world.

That means growing an exceptional team, taking on projects that excite us and expanding the reach of The Icon Method™. I also want to create more opportunities for education and collaboration through FOTO Hauss.

Personally, I want to build a company where we can do extraordinary work, make our own art and be present for the people we love.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

That visibility automatically creates credibility.

People need something meaningful to connect with when they encounter you: a clear point of view, evidence of your expertise and a sense of the person behind the business.

Our work involves understanding those things and making them tangible. A photograph can express someone’s character. A website can make their expertise easy to understand. An interview can reveal how they think.

The creative decisions carry a lot of responsibility. They shape what people understand about you and what they come to expect.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

One of my biggest challenges has been giving myself permission to build around the full range of what I can contribute.

After nearly three decades in photography, I had a strong professional identity. Expanding into agency leadership meant getting clear about my strengths in strategy, storytelling and creative direction, then learning how to communicate that evolution.

I’ve dealt with it by defining our process, bringing talented people into the work and becoming more intentional about where I spend my energy.

It’s an ongoing practice. Building Planet Ü keeps asking me to trust my vision, ask for support and take responsibility for the business that vision requires.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Michael Jordan stands out the most to me growing up, him and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Music growing up, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

My extraordinary wife, Tamara, and our EPIC kiddos: Jaden, Sylven Elijah, Justice, Violette, Eshua and Maeva. They are at the heart of the life I’m building, and I’m grateful for everything we share along the way.

Also, the creatives and collaborators who bring their talent and care to Planet Ü, and the clients who trust us with something as personal as how they show up in the world. That trust means a great deal to me.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

Explore Planet Ü and the work we do at www.planetu.agency. You can also find my photography at www.daussmiller.com/home and connect with me on Instagram at @daussmiller.

If you’re building something you believe in, I’d love to hear about it.