Life as a Solo Designer

I'll be honest: most mornings I don't sit down at my desk until 9:30 or 10.

After my son leaves for school, I work out, shower, walk Dayo, make a smoothie. For a long time, that kind of slow start would have stressed me out. But with my son not home until 4:30, there's plenty of time — and having those things done early means they're not hanging over me for the rest of the day. I feel better, and I ultimately get more done.

That's the great thing about running your own business: you get to figure out what works for you.

My days are a mix of client work, sending proposals, responding to emails, bookkeeping, doing prospect outreach, and keeping up on LinkedIn. I listen to The Daily every morning and watch Jon Stewart or Colbert with lunch.

I am an active member of the Creatives Roundtable — a group of independent creatives who meet regularly — and work with a VA to help me stay organized and on track. Wednesday mornings I go to the pottery studio and my mom and I hit estate sales when the mood strikes. So while I am a solo worker — I am by no means alone.

Marketing has been the hardest part of my job to get comfortable with. It takes a while to get used to putting yourself out there. What made a big difference to me was getting really clear on what I offer and why it matters. I have no doubts that nonprofits benefit from working with me — so talking about it stopped feeling like self-promotion and started feeling like just telling the truth.

Finally, there's the thing I love most and never want to give up. I don't have a boss. I don't have to answer to anyone. If I'm having an off day and need to take it easy, I do. Because I know there are days coming when I'll be fired up and get a ton done. I've learned to listen to my own rhythms and trust them.

Thirteen years in, and I’m loving it more than ever. I feel very lucky to get to do this work.