You need a vision and a goal to have achievements you are proud of and bring you the success you want.

I was once featured in "Should You Start a Side Business" on GoErie.com -- here are my thoughts from that interview and feature.

https://www.goerie.com/entertainmentlife/20180225/should-you-start-side-business

Being self-employed to me means, I take my education, training, and experiences and mold them into services and offerings that are of value to people that I want to work with. The result is a business I love, and my clients become my friends/family and together we help their businesses polish their brand, amplify their stories, to make stronger connections for a healthier business. 

People I want to work with

If you just need something yesterday, I’m not your partner. 

If you feel like your story isn’t connecting with people, or maybe you are lost on how to spend your marketing dollars, or maybe you’re in too deep that you can't see your business from the consumer’s point of view - then I can help. I take the answers to these questions and more and use them as our ammunition to build the necessary creative materials to give you the confidence to sell your services, build trust, and curate long-lasting strong relationships (referral generators).

Starting my own business was an easy choice because my child was sick, it was necessary to provide her the care she needed and still provide for our family while in a city where we didn’t have extra hands to help. Thanks to PPA Agency, they helped me transition from full-time to freelance to care for my baby while still being their Special Project designer and Art Director. I set up my business as a legal entity so that it would be a safeguard to my family from any harm and save me money in the long run. Naming the business “Presque Isle Designs” was an unrecognizable name in Ohio, and it was the first time I had a manifestation of something I truly wanted. I always dreamed of moving back to Erie, PA where my family grew up and had the best memories of being surrounded by family and friends. We didn’t have that in Ohio. Naming the business this way, was my way of pronouncing to the world that one day, I’ll move back to Erie.

I didn’t realize that it would come true is just 1 year. 

My daughter was healthier, and by now I’m in love with being able to work from home and take care of her. I didn’t realize it then, but it’s just like the upbringing I had. I was with my mom and dad every day with no childcare, the golf course was my babysitter. Full of explorations and adventures - breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my parents, and transportation to activities were always by them. They were heavily involved in my daily life. To be in my kids’ lives to the fullest - driving them to activities, doing crafts, playing outside, snuggling on the couch are all easy to balance with work because I don’t know of any other way. 

Time to get out of the house

Moving from home to my first office was a way to fight the never-ending battle with ‘work and life balance’. As the kids got older and more self-sufficient I found it easier and easier to be consumed with my work. Before, I would work when they slept or at activities - which later turned into working all night long and in and out of events to get the projects done on time. This resulted in an unhealthy lifestyle - living on coffee, snacks, and bad foods. No sleeping and no self-care. 

When they were both in school full time, I was able to dedicate the school day to all work so that after school, I could be more present. But the late nights and working while they were having their independence didn’t break the unhealthy patterns. 

EBCO park was the first attempt to really help in a work-life balance - working when I’m working, and not when I’m away from the office. Forcing a new level of focus and resetting boundaries with clients who were used to getting emails from me in the middle of the night. If I’m working that late, were they really taking my services seriously? 

2 years in EBCO and it really helped me get accustomed to the office life, and setting client and calendar boundaries. 

What I dream of what’s next for Presque Isle Designs - was not a bigger office, or hiring employees - it’s about giving a higher quality of service to a particular niche of customers who value the power of design to amplify their presence in their desired markets. PLUS success to me doesn’t mean how much money I’m invoicing, it’s about how much balance I have between work and my personal life. 

I believe that business is personal and personal is business - that’s how our lives were on the golf course. Our house was next to the driving range and the maintenance garage and across the street from the pro shop. That’s just normal to me, and I saw my parents grow a successful business based on that same ethic. Our motto/tagline was “there are no strangers, only friends we haven’t met yet” -- at PID we’re huggers and we advocate for businesses and organizations success and we help be a vital role in that success by creating and implementing a marketing roadmap that is authentic to their brand. 

It’s quality vs. quantity. 

I consider being self-employed a privilege and I’m so very grateful for the clients who value me and the services I offer and for their generous referrals. And when clients and projects don’t work out - I take them very personally. But that’s part of being in business for yourself - you want to make sure every client is happy and every project is successful and when it’s not I take it as a personal failure. What I’ve realized over the years, is that not every client is made to fit the mold of the client I can help best. There has to be a level of trust, respect, and understanding and faith in how creative tools and services can help improve their sales strategy. You have to be open to hearing out of the box ideas and trying new things and making modifications to your sales process to test and evaluate the marketing journeys. After all, marketing is all about experimenting and trying new things based on the understanding of whom you are targeting, their behaviors, and making adjustments as necessary. It’s being a chameleon. And that’s easier to do when you’re confident about your brand and the supportive materials to amplify your features and benefits. I love being a part of that process.